True Lord of Sekai
by Ronin2106
Summary: After his final defeat in the War of the Ring, Sauron is summoned by Eru, Creator of All. Expecting a punishment, Eru instead decides to use Sauron to save Sekai, world of Chakra, from it's doom at the hands of Shinobi. And so he sends Sauron, once Mairon, once Naruto Uzumaki, to save the world by any means at his disposal. OP!Sauron; Konoha!Bashing; Grey!Sauron, but not always.
1. Chapter 1

**Konoha. 15 years after the attack of Kyuubi**

Konoha, the jewel of the Land of Fire and the entire world, as its citizens believed, was in a near pandemonium, but not out of chaos or destruction, but due to elation and joy. Today, it's citizens were going to get their vengeance, their long due-justice and retribution for countless lives lost 15 years ago. Today, they were going to witness the end of demon that had plagued their existence for so long and whom they were denied of destroying, but today… Today his existence was going to finally come to an end.

Today was the day, when Naruto Uzumaki was going to be executed at the hands of the returned hero and their messiah, Minato Namikaze, Fourth Hokage, who had returned to Konoha, bringing with him his wife Kushina Uzumaki and the two children heroes that held the true power of Kyuubi, Mito and Menma Namikaze. The return of their once thought slain hero, especially in the wake of Suna's and Orochimaru's invasion was seen as the sign of the Gods favoring Konoha, and the people took all that their savior had told them, about him faking his and Kushina's deaths, taking his children away from Konoha and training them in secret.

All of that, these people had believed everything, both citizens and Shinobi alike, especially after Minato had saved Hiruzen Sarutobi from Orochimaru and forced the snake to flee, not to mention bringing back into Konoha two of its greatest Shinobi- Tsunade Senju and Jiraiya. The Professor and two Sannin confirmed all that Minato told to everyone, and the people's belief in their savior had strengthened to the point where they could clearly be seen as fanatics, worshiping a false God.

They had most certainly believed him when the blonde told them of the sacrifice he had to make in order to ensure Konoha's survival. On the night of the attack of the Fox, he had separated the power of Kyuubi from its soul, a feat that was unheard of and thought impossible, but only rousing the belief of Konoha in might of their Fourth Hokage. He then split the power equally and sealed them in his youngest children, Mito and Menma, but the soul, the most dangerous and powerful element of the Tailed Beast, was sealed inside of his eldest son, Naruto.

Kushina had spoken before all of Konoha of the grief that she had to endure, when she had given her eldest child to be sacrificed, but for Konoha she had endured, and so she and Minato had sacrificed their eldest son to be made into a container of malicious and corruptible soul of Kyuubi. They and Naruto's siblings and godparents had played the part about grief very well, so truthfully and without a mistake that none could question.

None, but those that knew the whole truth about Naruto Uzumaki, which included his parents, Sannins and Third Hokage, who had spin an elaborate and intricate tale about grief, sacrifice and sorrow, as well as the corruption and possession by the Tailed Beast of an innocent child's mind and soul. They never spoke of the fact that Naruto's soul, mind and will were always his, as the Kyuubi's soul was sealed away by the Uzumaki's strongest seal, Reaper Death Seal, cast by Shinigami himself and impossible to break even by other gods. No, instead of telling the full truth, about them all abandoning Naruto in Konoha as a bait and false Jinchuriki, they chose to lie and deceive, all in the name of the Village, as they all believed. But Naruto knew for a fact that the reason why they lied was far more malicious and simpler- they simply wished to use him as a way to gain absolute and total adoration and loyalty of Konoha. Once again, he was nothing more but a disposable tool for others to use, and thrown away after the usage.

This had been all that he had known all his life, a life of misery, agony and hatred. He had thought that he was a cruel joke of fate, having been born looking like a literal demon in the eyes of people. Unlike his far more lucky "siblings" who were born as carbon copies of their respective parents, Naruto ended up looking like a Kyuubi in human skin: fiery bright red hair akin to fox's pelt, eyes color of fire, practically glowing in dark, ears with a shape of a knife and a paler skin color. He didn't know why he looked like this, until he had met Kyuubi itself and learned that it was the beast's small revenge upon its previous host, his mother, for holding him.

He had used his own chakra to alter Naruto when he was but a fetus, to give him traits that would make him similar in appearance with Kyuubi and demons. The Tailed Beast succeeded in his little revenge, and so Naruto had ended up being shunned by his own mother and father for mere appearances.

He was but mere 5 years of old when Naruto learned of it all from Kyuubi, and ever since then he had hated his very existence, along with his parents for doing what they had done to him. He swore never to draw upon the power of Kyuubi and to prove to the entire world that he wasn't a demon, but a man and that he was greater than that demon. Hence that day, Naruto had made began to train, develop his mind and body into weapons greater than what was sealed in him.

Much to his benefit, Kyuubi's alterations to his body were not only cosmetic, but also powerful in enhancing already powerful Uzumaki genes to a whole new level. Naruto was quick to grow up, gaining height and muscle faster than any child of similar age, with his mind sharper than best blade and swifter than wind. He could remember anything and everything he saw and read without any trouble, along with his eyes being able to perceive the swiftest of movements and smallest of actions that could be hidden away even from a trained Shinobi eye. And his chakra reserves were much greater than that of any person of his age, even Uzumaki.

At 10 years old, he already held more chakra than Third Hokage did at his prime, and when he came to age of 14, when he graduated the Academy, his Chakra level was suspected by Hokage to be greater than that of Mito Uzumaki, wife of Hashirama Senju and one of most powerful Uzumaki warriors that had ever walked the earth. For years, Naruto had secretly trained, gained new skills through self-training, observing, learning from whatever old scrolls he could gain once Clans had no need of them after copying their contents. Surprisingly, many Clans of Konoha, from Uchiha to Hyuuga, were quite careless in disposing of their old scrolls with valuable knowledge and information. Had they known that they were practically giving the hated demon means of becoming stronger, they would've been more careful.

Naturally, the growth in power and mind of Naruto didn't go unnoticed by the inhabitants of the Village and its leaders. The common folk, both citizens and Shinobi alike, had tried to stump Naruto's growth by killing him, or at least maiming, torturing and breaking him mentally. They had failed, either due to "timely" intervention by ANBU, or because Naruto had stopped taking punishments, and started dishing them out by beating the civilians and Shinobi alike.

Much to shock and horror of many, especially the Third Hokage, Naruto had proven to be viciously effective in dispatching those that had tried to kill him. The Village had called for his death, but Hiruzen stopped the Council from executing him, knowing that it would unleash the true Kyuubi's soul and let him regain its power. Instead, he decided to play the caring grandfather figure and spoke with Naruto, trying to convince him that him retaliating like he did was not a way to earn people's trust and respect. Naruto's response was simple and clear: "If Village can't protect its inhabitants, than those inhabitants have to protect themselves." Hiruzen had wanted to dispute Naruto's logic, but he was powerless, as even he couldn't simply go ahead and break the common law about citizens of Konoha, with Naruto being one such citizen.

After that talk, the villagers and Shinobi had to give Naruto a wide berth and stop their attacks, as Hiruzen put pressure on them. Instead, they had settled on ignoring and isolating Naruto from the rest of people, something that he was alright with, as he had long grown weary and hateful of Konoha himself. His dream still guided him, but it was adjusted a bit to include him finding a place where he would be seen as a human being and not as a demon. It was sad that he couldn't simply up and leave Konoha, as Naruto knew that if he did, Hokage would send all available forces to get him back. And so Naruto had to go to Academy, learn whatever they could teach him, graduate and then wait for a chance when he could leave the village forever and for sure.

Despite the sabotage, hateful teachers and intolerable classmates, Naruto had managed to graduate, ending up in Team 7, led by Kakashi Hatake, former student of Fourth Hokage, with his teammates being Sakura Haruno and Sasuke Uchiha, the self-proclaimed "Last Uchiha". It became immediately clear that Naruto would find no friends with them, for Kakashi hated Naruto for simply existing, while Sakura was obsessed with Sasuke and saw Naruto as a demon, while Sasuke arrogantly believed that all were beneath him and Naruto was the lowest of the low. That's not to mention Kakashi purposefully ignoring the training of Naruto and Sakura, focusing his attention of Sasuke.

Though even a blind could see that this Team was anything but a good one, they had still managed to accomplish quite notable and great feats, mostly due to Naruto's wit, skills and might saving the day, while his companions took the credit for his deeds. And the deeds were truly quite worth of tales: saving Land of Wave from a tyrannical business man, along with killing Zabuza Momochi, then restoring a rightful ruler to the Land of Snow, now Land of Spring, followed by saving Land of Waterfall from being consumed in a civil war. In the two former Lands Naruto, much to his shock, had found himself seen not as a demon or a fiend, but as a hero and liberator.

Land of Wave dedicating its newly constructed bridge to him, while Koyuki Kazahana, now ruler of the Land of Snow, had proclaimed him Hero of Snow and offered him a permanently open place as her advisor, should he ever desire to come back. It was truly in those Lands that Naruto had finally gained an understanding of what it felt to be respected, loved and admired for not how you look, but for your deeds. It was more than enough for him to finally decide to leave Konoha, but much to his chagrin, the Chuunin Exams came and Kakashi had admitted them in. Naruto, fueled by his deeds and pride grown in his heart, decided to compete.

It was truly the worst decision he had ever made, a decision that would ultimately lead to where he was in present time. All proceeded relatively well until he and his team had gotten to the Forest of Death, which they needed to traverse in five days, along with finding a scroll from another team. For most, it was an exceedingly dangerous task, but for Naruto, who had spent his forming years in that Forest with its beasts, honing his reflexes and skills, it was a trivial task. Everything went to hell when his team had been suddenly attacked by none other than Orochimaru, the Snake Sannin, who had bitten Sasuke and put some sort of Curse Seal on him. Through sheer might, will and relentless assault, Naruto had managed to drive the Snake away, only to end up later be attacked by the lackeys of the Snake from Sound and after that one by Sasuke.

The Sound team, though mighty in their own regard with their techniques, found themselves woefully unprepared when faced against one that was proclaimed as Demon of Wave. Naruto slaughtered two of them Sound Shinobi, with the third one, a girl, fleeing away. Sasuke, drunk on power, thought that he could easily defeat Naruto, but was proven wrong, when Naruto beat him with a single punch in the face. The whole scene was observed by much of Konoha Genin teams, serving to instill a sense of fear after witnessing Naruto's might. After that, Naruto had to drag Sasuke and catatonic Sakura to the Tower in the middle, where they were permitted to compete in preliminary matches for the third stage of the Exams.

Naruto's opponent was another Genin from Konoha, Kiba Inuzuka, who was quite eager to fight and defeat Naruto. Many had hoped that Kiba would wipe the floor with Naruto, but their hopes were crushed when Naruto with near effortlessly first killed Kiba's partner and dog, Akamaru, by driving a kunai in Akamaru's brain. Enraged and frenzy Kiba had tried to avenge his partner, but ended up not much better than his partner, when Naruto had managed to counter his Gatsuga by literally setting Kiba ablaze with a Fire Jutsu. Kiba was saved by the judge stopping the match and round was won by Naruto, with victory bringing great ire from Konoha's Shinobi, especially from Kakashi and Kurenai, Kiba's sensei.

Naruto didn't pay any mind to them, instead focusing his attention on Gaara of the Sand, whom he quickly determined to be the most dangerous person to have entered the Exams. Along with accessing his abilities, Naruto had also realized from his behavior and actions, that Gaara was just like him, a Jinchuriki, a fact that brought neither caution nor anger to Naruto, but pity for his fellow beast holder. The rest of the matches preceded much like he anticipated. Safe for Neji Hyuuga nearly killing his cousin Hinata, because she wasn't able to stand up to him and the former deemed her unworthy of living.

Had Naruto not been fast enough, Hinata's heart would've been destroyed, but instead of that happening, Neji found himself face to face with Naruto and his flaming eyes narrowed against his Byakugan active orbs was enough from stopping him. It was a small delight for Naruto to later discover that his opponent in real third round was going to be Neji himself, as Naruto was more than happy to take him down for what he did to Hinata, one of the few people that were nice to him in Konoha. That and he was going to take pleasure in destroying the fool's belief in Fate somehow favoring him and deeming him victor in all. The concept of Fate was one of the main excuses for villagers to beat up and torture Naruto, and therefore the notion of it being used again enraged him.

The following month before the matches Naruto had spent preparing himself. He knew that he couldn't rely on Kakashi or anyone in Konoha for help, not after he had "unjustly" injured Kiba during the preliminary rounds. Surprisingly for him, he was approached by Jiraiya of all people, who suddenly offered Naruto training and even a Toad Summoning Contract. At first, Naruto was almost elated, but the years of mistrust, caution and bitter experience had long curbed in Naruto any notion of not looking a gift horse in the teeth. Instead of accepting, he declined, stating that he was fine on his own, but Jiraiya didn't take the rejection well, trying to practically force Naruto to sign the contract and even chasing after him through the village.

Naruto was fortunate to have lost him, having taken refuge in an abandoned, yet excellently preserved mansion on the edge of the village. It was there that Naruto had finally discovered the truth about the Uzumaki Nation, or clan, as most foolishly thought it to be, for he had found a long abandoned home of Mito Uzumaki, with all her possessions, such as scrolls, books and more left untouched. Naruto had made use of what he found, devouring all that he could gain in the scrolls and books, using his so-called life hack of Shadow Clones to the maximum. In a single month, Naruto went from a talented genius to a trained and wise prodigy having mastered Arts of Sealing, learning all that there is from the legendary Mistress of Sealing.

But where he truly shined was in studying and acquiring the ways of Uzumaki warfare, mastering their double-edged straight longswords, strange at first glance, yet deadly effective against most armor, safe for those of Uzumaki forging. Uzumaki culture differed greatly from that of the Elemental Nations, and it was seen in both weapons and its armor, which employed plated armor, coupled with chain mails and scale mails instead of iron scales and leather of Samurai and vests of Shinobi. Though weighing heavier than normal armor, the armor of Uzumaki was much, much sturdier and didn't break or dent without a great deal of effort, not to mention that even piercing it was a hard task, as Naruto found. A suit of such armor, made for Uzumaki's equivalent of Shinobi, colored of black with a special black cloak with a coat, with sealed in Genjutsu and protections from detection. It was light enough to move swiftly, but also well made to cover with plate Naruto's lower and upper legs, wrists, shoulders and torso, while intersections were still protected with scale mail.

With such armor, knowledge worth a nation's fortune and a longsword, Naruto had come to the Chuunin Exam's final rounds as a new man, shocking all that saw him, though his opponent thought little to nothing of Naruto, for he believed victory was already his. He was proven wrong, for when the match began, Neji's Gentle Fist style proved to be utterly useless agaisnt Naruto's armor, the metal of which dispersed Neji's chakra and rendered Naruto invulnerable to Hyuuga's main way of fighting. Using a shock of the realization to his advantage, Naruto drew his longsword and in a single swift swing he nearly disembodied Neji. The fight was over as swiftly as it had begun, with Naruto claiming victory. The shock at what had happened rendered the spectators mute, with the schemers finally deciding to do away with Naruto, for he had grown too dangerous to be left alive.

Yet they weren't able to implement their schemes right away, for Orochimaru and Suna had made their move and struck right in the middle of a fight between Sasuke and Gaara. The invasion had begun and Konoha had come under the direct attack, with fighting breaking out near everywhere. In the chaos and confusion of it all, Naruto had found himself chasing after Gaara, who had lost control over his Tailed Beast and was going to transform into it. The reason for doing so in his mind was simply to help someone who was like him and suffered just as much. He was quick to catch up to him and his siblings, Kankuro and Temari, but he was too late, as Shukaku, the One-Tailed Beast, was once more in control of his powers and nearly went on a rampage near the Village. With all Shinobi available fighting in the Village proper, it fell to Naruto to defeat him.

It was a brutal and difficult fight, one where Naruto's skills and mettle were put to the ultimate test, yet he prevailed, though injured badly and exhausted. Naruto had managed to seal Shukaku with a proper seal, powerful enough to hold even Kyuubi at bay, before healing Gaara. Shocked to the core, Gaara had asked Naruto how he has not succumbed to his demon, to which he simply stated:

"I remember that I am a human and not him. If I let him control me and my actions, then I am not worth living. Live as a human being, Gaara, and act as one, and one day, people will come to see you as one." With that said, Naruto had departed him for his Village, expecting to at least rest and heal there.

That did not come to him, for he was apprehended by ANBU, put in irons and dragged off to prison, where he was stripped of all he had, safe the skin on his muscles. None told him anything, not a single thing, until he was finally visited by none other but Minato Namikaze, accompanied by Third Hokage and most of the Council. Shocked to the core Naruto could say not a thing as the bastard spread his web of lies and half-truths, revealing to Naruto who his parents were and what was his purpose of existence. After he was done, the verdict finally was announced to him: death by a public execution.

And so Naruto finds himself chained to a pole, his bloody and broken form held by the chains above his head, as the crowd called for his death. By now, Naruto simply wished that it was all over, for his spirit was as broken as was his body, courtesy of Ibiki Morino and Anko Mitarashi paying him a visit. To learn that all his life was nothing more but a predetermined sacrifice, another tool to be used, with an illusion of a possibility of a better future for him…

Even he could not handle all that was revealed to him.

Newly reinstated Fourth Hokage finally took the stage and motioned for the crowd to be silent as he spoke.

"Good people of Konoha, the time for reckoning has come at last! Today, I shall rid you for good of the Demon, for his purpose has finally expired. Fear not, for from this day my beloved children, Mito and Menma, shall stand guard over you and protect us all from all threats!" Minato announced, as the crowd exploded in ovations, before he silenced it again. "But, for all its crimes, let us not deny this beast the right of its last word. It is the least humane thing it deserves from us after all." Minato turned to Naruto and walked to him, leaning in close and speaking in a hushed voice.

"For all what it's worth now, your mother and I am truly sorry for what we had done to you." Naruto's eyes widened when he heard what he said, shocked he heard sincerity in it. "What we had done, it was a necessary evil for the greater good, for Konoha and its people. I hope that you can find it in your heart to forgive us for this, my son, but take solace in knowing that all your sacrifices are not for naught. Once this is done, your siblings shall master the power of Fox and Konoha shall enter its golden age, all thanks to your sacrifice, Naruto. Now, do you have anything you wish to tell me and Kushina?"

"Y-Yeah…" Naruto whispered through pain, as his legs steadied themselves, hands gripped the chains and his strength gathered for one last time. "Burn in Hell!" With a roar, Naruto's head smashed into Minato's nose, breaking it and sending him backwards.

The sudden attack had sent all Konoha into a frenzy and shock, which was amplified when Naruto had broken the chains above him with a powerful pull. Fear and terror spread like wild fire when all saw the demon break free of the pole and many began to flee, but not Shinobi and ANBU who rushed to strike him down. The first one was none other than Genma Shiranui, armed with a tanto and aiming to kill Naruto. But fool didn't get his chance, as Naruto, with the help of his chains, grabbed Genma's blade and disarmed him, before taking it himself and quickly slashing his throat. Before the life left his body, Naruto moved it as a shield to save him from Asuma's blades, followed with Naruto throwing now dead and headless Genma's body at Jonin.

Yet the battle was not to continue, for a yellow flash appeared before Naruto and a longsword was plunged deep in his chest, it's wielder being Minato, whose bloody nose now disfigured his face. Naruto felt the steel of his once weapon pierce his inner organs, blood rushing to his mouth and forcing him to spit it out. Minato's face was that of a rage and smug superiority, as he spoke to him.

"And what was that for? What did you accomplish, _my son_?" He asked of him in a mocking fashion, before Naruto flashed him a bloody smile.

He then grabbed the sword with his hand, driving it deeper into his flesh and through his back, much to the shock of all that saw it. And it was then that Naruto finally spoke again.

"Going out… on my terms." Naruto wheezed out of him… before he plunged the tanto still in his hand into Minato's flesh.

A look of shock and horror came over Minato Namikaze as he felt tanto piercing his belly, before Naruto twisted it upwards and slashed up, spilling out a fountain of blood of his father. The last of his strength gone, Naruto let go of his hold over tanto, dropping it, before his form had finally dropped on the floor, unable to move a muscle. His eyes became heavy, as the blood flowed out his body, yet the last scene of terror gripped Konoha citizens, shocked Shinobi, rushing to the aid their mortally wounded Hokage…

It was worth dying for, and the scene remained in Naruto's eyes as his lids fell down and he let out his last breath, finally free of all the shackles that bound him.

And no soul that day had known, that what transpired that day was witnessed by one that stood above all beings, living or dead.

* * *

**Eternity and infinity later…**

Where Naruto had hoped to find an end and peace in death, he found something far more unexpected, and yet far more precious- a new life and new calling. A being of unimaginable power and might, Eru, the very creator of cosmos and universe, had witnessed what had transpired in a realm that he had created eons ago and decided to take mercy upon the tormented soul. To his Timeless Halls he brought the formless soul of Naruto and with his will and wish he forged him a new being, one free of the torments of past life and it's unshackled by mortality.

In a single moment that had lasted like ages, a new life came to the existence, a new child of Eru was created, one that was different from all he gave life before. All they were part of him from very start, but he was a mortal man before, yet one that had moved Eru with his sheer will, determination and desire to improve upon what he already was- all of which were not present within his children, content to remain as they were. And soon, this new being had earned its name, for he soon became the greatest amongst Maiar, admired and respected by all his peers for his peerless skill and might.

He was now known as Mairon, and he became the head Maiar of Valar Aule, the greatest smith, craftsman and artisan, master of all substance in material realm. Under him, Mairon had achieved all that he had desired in his past life: acknowledgement, appreciation and respect. All that there was to learn from his teacher and master, Mairon had gained it and soon, when Arda had begun to come to be, he was Aule's equal in near all there was. But not only had he become a master of all substance, Mairon had also come to learn the ways of the nature and life from other Valar, Yavanna and Vana, growing an appreciation for it all while with them. But the closest of all, even compared to Aule, was Mairon to Nienna, Valar of Compassion and Love, for she had reached out to the torn and broken soul that he had and helped heal it. Forever would Mairon remain loyal to her in dreams and deepest parts of his being, for she had healed him from his broken past and opened a path forward.

Where many of his Maiar brothers and sisters were content to be as they were and not become more, Mairon was different, and so he sought the knowledge and understanding from all he could find. All of Valar had shared with eager Maiar what they knew and possessed, seeing no harm in it, with Aule being the most eager among them. It was this combined knowledge and gathered understanding that had allowed Mairon to aid his teacher and master Aule in creating the race of Dwarves, when the Children of Iluvatar, or Elves as they later become known, were made.

Such act had not gone unseen by Eru, yet he allowed the children of Aule to exist and be a part of Arda. Aule, though grateful to Eru, had omitted to mention the part which Mairon played in creation of Dwarves, an act that had sown seeds of fall in heart of Mairon. Eru had known who had aided his son in creation of new race, and had foreseen that Aule's silence may yet bring grim results in the future. Though bitter at what had happened, Mairon continued his existence and work on Arda, desiring to help craft a realm where no living being would be forced to fight for survival and where there would no discord and dissonance.

Fueled by memories of the chaotic and abhorrent realm that was his past life, Mairon worked the hardest in creating Arda, efforts his being as great as some of those of Valar, who saw their lesser Ainur sibling as equal to them. But one of Valar had seen Mairon as not just as an equal to him, but also as the greatest tool in his schemes and plans.

It was then that Melkor, greatest of Valar, had made his move and began to sway Mairon to his side, fueling the feelings of pride inside the greatest of Maiar and playing on his desires for a paradise. Though moved by the words and finding himself in accord with many of Melkor's thoughts, Mairon did not side with him and opposed him when Melkor decided to claim Arda as his own.

He led the Maiar in the First War and after, when Two Great Lamps were destroyed by Melkor. Yet as more and more time had passed, doubt had begun to fester within Mairon, but he did not waver when the War for the sake of Elves came and in decisive Battle of the Powers he led the host of Maiar against Orcs and many heinous creatures of Melkor's design, even against his once fellow Maiar, now turned into terrifying Balrogs. It was he that had breached Utumno with Tulkas and Eonwe to capture Melkor in chains and disperse his host.

As Melkor was judged by Valar to three centuries of imprisonment, Mairon wasted none of the time as he had assisted the awakened Elves in reaching Valinor, and later, at the insistence of Nienna, Valar of Compassion, Grief and Love, had ventured back to Middle-Earth to find the Elves that had not followed Valar. His quest was great in length, but successful as he found all scattered Children of Iluvatar and gathered them together. Fearing for them, Nienna had pleaded to Eru to let them to go another realm, one where they would not be plagued by evils. Eru agreed and gave the choice: go to a new realm, forged by him before Arda, or remain in this one. Many had chosen to remain in Arda, and just as many chose to go to another, fearful of Melkor and his evil, and all who had left to this day praise Mairon as their savior.

When Mairon returned to Valinor, he found Melkor no longer a prisoner, with Elves having established their realm. He was pleased with how they had come to be, yet at the same time, he felt that they could've been so much more. He saw how Elves were becoming divided and how conflict began to rise amongst them, and the disappointment of Mairon was growing more and more by the day as he watched the once pure and incorrupt people become chained by pride and arrogance.

Mairon's thoughts had soon turned from disappointment to desire to save them, to show them the right way, to lead them to absolute glory and paradise, had they only were to embrace his guidance. But doing so was against the decree of Eru, of whom Mairon grew more and more disappointed, seeing him inactive and uncaring of his own creations, much to Melkor's delight. And in time, the seeds of Melkor's deception and work laid in millennia and eons ago had given fruit, when after Melkor, now known as Morgoth, had stolen the light of Two Trees, killing King Finwe and fleeing to Middle-Earth, Mairon followed him. Only this time he was not his enemy, for he had finally succumbed to Melkor's influence.

The day when Mairon had knelt before Morgoth, was the day when the greatest of Maiar had fallen and in his place stood now the greatest servant of Evil. And Eldar had given this servant a new name, for his deeds of evil soon washed away all memory of his good and great.

He was now Sauron, Morgoth's greatest lieutenant and most loyal of followers, a twisted and corrupted being that had once despised and abhorred what he now was. Yet, for the sake of saving the world from chaos and steering it towards greater good, Sauron was prepared to do all that was needed. And he has put eons of experience, power and knowledge to good use for Morgoth, employing schemes, sorcery and force to destroy the enemies of Morgoth.

Thanks to him the Men were not united as one people, and all those that lived in the East of Rhun bowed to Morgoth and Sauron. And although on Tol Sirion he had been defeated by Luthien and Huan, a Wolf Maiar, Sauron had simply allowed them to take the island as well as to free it's captives, among which was Beren, descendants of whom would become a major thorn in Sauron's side. And although to the time of his defeat Sauron had granted Morgoth many victories, the impetuous fallen Valar did not forgive a defeat, so Sauron had fled to regain his own powers and strengthen his might, as well as to devise the demise of Morgoth.

Sauron was not blind to the desire of Morgoth to see all of Arda ablaze and reduced to nothing, and though he had been loyal and followed Morgoth, Sauron could not abide by the desires of his Master. In the eyes of Sauron, there was no point in destroying what had been created with such great effort, especially when he could command and guide those that had inhabited this realm. The absolute control over all mortals of Arda, this was what Sauron had desired, and for it was only through this he would bring salvation to squabbling mortals. And so he went to work, helping Earendil obtain one of three Silmarils and guiding him through shadows to Valinor, for in there was a single force that could stop Morgoth- Valar and Maiar. And so the War of Wrath had commenced, in which Sauron had aided Valar once more in defeating Morgoth, once and for all.

Though his foul deeds were not forgotten, nor forgiven, Valar were prepared to forgive Sauron, should he repent and stand trial before them. Unfortunately for them all, Sauron held no longer any loyalty for either Morgoth, or Valar, though he still claimed to do the will of the former. Instead, it was his ambitions which he now sought to see accomplished and made real, and Middle-Earth was ripe for his rule. For a thousand years he lay in hiding, ruling from shadows the realms of the East and South, steering them to him, bringing them prosperity, power and wealth beyond counting. When his job with them was complete, Sauron sought to expand further, and found his next target in Elves, whose potential was still great and whom he still wished to enlighten. But along with that, Sauron had begun work on his ultimate weapon, one that would finally unite the will of the mortals into one and bound it to him.

He took a new look and came to Elves as Annatar, Lord of Gifts, once again granting them his knowledge and expanding their riches and power. Though weary were many, like Galadriel, Gil-Galad and Elrond, many more had embraced his gifts, especially Celebrimbor, grandson to Feanor and greatest smith of Noldor Elves. It was his forge and hammer that saw the creation of many wonders of jewelry and metal, but above all were those that Annatar had personally spoke of an taught of. Symbols of might and power, concentration of pure magic and power of the world, the Rings of Power.

_Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky,_

_Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone,_

_Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die._

And in the shadows of Mordor, Sauron had forged his own ring, one that was to bind all the other Rings and it's bearers to his will. The One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them to him. Had Celebrimbor not warned the Elven Kings beforehand, Sauron would've bound them to him, and had he foreseen that Dwarven will was strong enough to stand against his, both realms would've been his. But the realms of Men were in his hands, for Nine Kings of Mortal Men bore his gifts and were his, bound to his will in life and in death. Once he had gathered his armies, Orcs, Men and many more, he launched his campaign to take all of Middle-Earth as his own, and he was closer to victory than even his own former master, yet it was all for naught for when Numenorians, descendants of Men that fought against Morgoth, had sailed from their isle to aid in battle was Sauron defeated and his host dispersed.

Having suffered a defeat, Sauron was not deterred from his goals, and spent his time well in regaining his powers and once more rebuilding his hosts of armies and fortresses. He knew that he was strong enough to defeat the races of Elves and Dwarves, but Men of Numenor… They were different, much like what he once was, and it instilled a sense of fear in Sauron and caution was needed if were to bring down the Numenorians. Fortunately, Sauron knew what Men were better than anyone and knew how to exploit their weaknesses, and when Numenorians returned to conquer all of Middle-Earth, Sauron did not even fight them. Instead, he surrendered without a single life lost and became captive of King Ar-Pharazon, and in a few short years, it was the arrogant King and his people that were captives of Sauron and his will.

Playing on the desires of immortality and power of the mortals, Sauron created the religion dedicated to Morgoth, corrupting and swaying the race of Numenorians to darkness. His hold over them was so great, that Sauron had even convinced the fools to sail to Aman, where he told them awaited true immortality. Sauron had known beforehand that only death and defeat awaited the fools that set sail to the Undying Lands, but in his pride and arrogance he had not foreseen that his actions would not go unnoticed. And this time, it was not Valar that had responded.

Eru, having seen what his Children were reduced to and what part in their corruption was done by Sauron, had sundered the Isle of Numenor, sinking it beneath the waves with the fleet of Ar-Pharazon. Sauron too was caught in the sundering, his mortal shell destroying and much of his power destroyed, but thanks to his One Ring being in Mordor, he was able to rematerialize in his already prepared and fully built fortress of Barad-dur. Though much of his powers were lost, his will was as strong as ever and so he launched a new war for Middle-Earth against all mortal and immortal races.

The victory was close at hand, though war seemed lost against the Last Alliance, but once again the Men of Numenor had to take away his victory, Isildur, son of Elendil, cut off his Ring from his hand, destroying his mortal shell and rendering him a little more than a ghost. He was defeated, yet not completely, and had Isildur listened to Elrond and tossed the Ring in Mount Doom, all would be over again for Sauron, but Men are weak at heart, especially to power and might, and One Ring held it all. Sauron was once more saved, and although greatly weakened and weaker than he ever were, he still had his mind, knowledge and will.

For three millennia he waited patiently, rebuilding his power and might, regaining lost strength and gathering new allies and strengthening old alliances. For three millennia he schemed and plotted, sending out his most loyal servants, the Nazgul, to weaken and destroy the realms of Men of the West, Arnor and Gondor. His Witch-King had succeeded in destroying the former and ridding Gondor of its king, plunging the realm of Men into rule of lesser men and into corruption. Though Valar had sensed his presence in the world and sent the Istari, his former comrades Maiar in form of older men, to stop him, Sauron had no fear of them, and later even recruited one known as Saruman as his subject, though he wish Gandalf had come to serve him too. Olorin, or as he was now Gandalf, was always the single one that could match Sauron in wisdom and might of mind, and therefore was considered a greater threat then Curumo, or Saruman.

The fears of Sauron were not baseless, for it was Gandalf that had discovered Sauron's existence in Middle-Earth, when he resided in one of his old fortresses Dol Guldur. But to that time, Sauron's power had been largely regained and he once more walked the Middle-Earth in flesh, but he was weary from leaving Mordor and his rebuilt Barad-dur. The One Ring, key to his immortality and power, was still beyond him and he needed it back, for there was always a chance that it may be destroyed, however the small the chance was. And once he had acquired its whereabouts, he had launched his final war, the War of the Ring had begun.

Millennia of planning, centuries of plotting and subterfuge, millions of creatures of darkness gathered to serve him, realms falling to his subjects, and yet… Once more, much like his master, Sauron had failed to realize the true power of mortals and see how they could defeat him. Only once the hobbit, of all damned mortal beings, had tossed his One Ring into the heath or Mount Doom did Sauron finally realize his absolute defeat and how he had become exactly what Melkor had wanted him to be- a weapon for his own usage, a tool to be used and disposed of, just like he was once in the hands of Konoha. Sauron was finally and completely defeated, reduced to less than a ghost, a formless and powerless soul, just as he had once begun.

And just as he once was, he was once again in the Timeless Halls, in the presence of the being that had given him once life and a purpose towards which he once worked. Sauron knew naught why he was pulled out of the Void, where he should've stayed as he had thought, but he felt that he was soon to find out.

"_**Do you know why you are before me, Mairon?"**_ Eru spoke to him, with Sauron mentally flinching at the memory of his old name.

"**No, nor am I called that anymore, Eru."** Sauron replied no malice or detest to be traced in his voice, only defeat and surrender. **"I can only guess that you have decided to finally rid Arda and Universe of me."**

"_**Had I wished so, I would not have allowed you to survive the sundering of Numenor."**_Eru simply stated in his divine voice. _**"It was my wish for you to see the folly of your ways and repent, yet you failed to realize, just as you had failed to realize how you became the instrument of another's will, something you swore never to happen again when you were made anew."**_

"**Have you summoned me to gloat, Eru, or is this going anywhere?" **Sauron impatiently asked of him. **"You think I had not realized what I had become, how far I had fallen, or how many of my fellow Maiar I had let down? Do you think I don't know that I had become exactly what those damn bastards from Konoha were? I know it all, Eru, and I will not seek to deny nor justify my actions, for I know to where my pride and desires have led me… All I had ever desired were peace, prosperity, enlightenment and content for all living beings. Is this naught for what you had created me, to help guide all your children to it?!" **Sauron cried out to Eru as the weight of his actions felt heavy upon his none existent shoulders.

"_**I brought you to new life for those reasons, true, for I knew that to guide my children I would need one that had walked a path of the mortal and knew how to better himself, one who sought to break the chains and move forwards. You were such person, Naruto." **_Eru saw how the formless mass of Sauron stilled at the mention of the name._** "Yet it was only half the reason why I chose you. The other half was in you knowing the need for freedom and how enslavement would lead not to the light, but to the darkness. You have already fallen victim to such design of a better world, and I wished for you to show the better way not through strength and iron, but through knowledge and compassion."**_

To that Sauron had no retort, for Eru was correct. He was already used as a tool by Konoha in the great and grandiose plan of achieving the greater good. Made an instrument at the hands of his "parents" and used to great effect, until he was needed to be disposed of, for without the soul of Kyuubi, the heroic twins could not use the power of Nine Tails. It took not long after his rebirth to realize why he was truly put to the sword, and although the betrayal still stung, the thought of ending the life of a schemer that plot it all warmed his being even when he was but a formless soul like now.

"_**Many of my children would see you destroyed and gone, the foul you have done to the world cannot be forgotten by them, nor forgiven." **_Eru spoke to him. _**"And yet, even amongst the cries of rage amongst all Valar, there is one that still weeps for you and calls for mercy. Do you recall whom I speak of, Sauron?"**_

"**Lady Nienna… Her faith in me… It is misplaced and foolish."** Sauron retorted with bitterness and scowl, though more at himself. **"Why do I deserve her favor when the ire of all Valar and Maiar is understood by me is beyond my understanding."**

"_**It is not favor of her that you hold, but her compassion and a memory of what you were once were, as well as what you still can be." **_Eru spoke cryptically to Sauron. _**"She, much like I, have not forgotten the deeds you performed when Melkor had not made you into Sauron. I remember your role in creation of Dwarves, though Aule mentioned none of your part. I recall with fondness your efforts in creation of Arda, along with teaching and guiding the races with your knowledge. I have not forgotten your valor and courage in battles against Morgoth, both in First War and in for my First Children. And it has not escaped me your patience and determination in gathering those of my First Children that had not followed Valar to Aman, saving half of them and giving them passage to a different realm. And even when you had turned your back agaisnt Valar, you still came to fight Morgoth and helped in saving Middle-Earth and Arda as a whole."**_

"**Only because it was against my own wishes to see what I had helped to craft be turned into ashes by a mad fallen Valar, who wasted so much of his power and potential on pettiness and too little effort on preserving what he had." **Sauron spoken to Eru. **"What is the point of all this, Eru? No good deeds shall ever wash away all the evil I had done."**

"_**And no evil shall ever erase the good you have done for Arda and me." **_Eru added. _**"Nienna recalls all you have done, and her weeps for you, but it weeps even more for another realm, one of which you had come to be from."**_

"**What of that realm? Sekai had been also crafted by your will, yet you had left it unguided and free to its own devices, nothing more to discuss on the matter." **Sauron remarked.

"_**I hadn't left Sekai without a guide, for one of my Valar, who was once known as Izanami was to guide mortals to better life. Unfortunately, her efforts proved to be for naught for she was betrayed by her beloved and forced to gain power from the world and use it. After that, she had tried to set the mortal race straight, much like you have strived to do, but betrayal by her sons had put an end to her desires." **_Eru told Sauron, who was surprised to hear it all. _**"The reason why I had taken an interest in you back then was because there was her blood flowing in you, a blood of one of her sons, one known as Surya, the one that had too sought to make a world better through enlightenment and usage of Chakra as a tool for good, instead of a weapon for war as his brothers sons had used it. Surya's descendants, the nation he had helped to build, became known as Uzumaki." **_Had Sauron possessed eyes, he would've widened them after hearing it.

Uzumaki… They were descendants of Valar and even had nearly succeeded in what he wished for the mortals. His memory recalled what he had learned of them when he studied the texts of Mito Uzumaki and it all fit the bill. The Uzumaki nation were not just advanced in using chakra, but also mentally and morally, having advanced past the stage when they saw need in Shinobi for keeping peace. They were building their own paradise on a small continent, until the end of the Third Shinobi War, when their entire nation was…

"_**Until their entire nation was destroyed by all Five Nations, who were unable to comprehend their ways and feared them. It was them, and a betrayal by the family of the one who gave birth to you, Kushina Uzumaki, that had saw the end of your people. It was because of that why Surya had asked me to prevent a catastrophe from happening, why I had to intervene and sunder the continent of Uzu." **_Eru revealed to Sauron.

"**WHAT?! You are responsible for the destruction of Uzu?! Why would you do such a thing, when you should've saved them, you damn bastard?!" **Sauron cared naught at whom he roared. **"My people, Uzumaki, they were leagues beyond those damn Shinobi warmongers, with their culture and architectures surpassing even your pretty Elves, not to mention their deepest understanding of the world around them and truest understanding of Chakra and how to use it! They were what you always strived to have all your children to be, and yet…"**

"_**My heart, as well as Nienna's, still aches at the mention of it, and I only did it because there was no other way. Had I done otherwise, the knowledge and power that Uzumaki had grasped and gained over millennia of existence would be granted to all Shinobi of Five Nations. And if were to happen, do you know what the result would be, had all mortals were given the might of Valar and no wisdom in using it?" **_Eru asked of him, with Sauron understanding what he meant.

"**Sekai would burn like Arda in First War…" **Sauron simply stated. **"And why do you tell all of this to me? What is the point in all this?"**

"_**The point, as you put it, is in fact that Sekai is more in danger than ever before, for Shinobi meddle with powers beyond their understanding and are far too close to unraveling the world." **_Eru stated to Sauron, who was shocked to hear. _**"Though I had left it to its fate, I care still for its fate and I will not let it fall, not when there is salvation for the world. But such salvation can't be brought by simple wisdom and guidance, when there are so many that would resist the change. Sekai needs to saved, and for that it needs the one who had walked it once and knows the realms. This is why I have brought you here, Sauron."**_

"**You… You think I will… Do you really think that I will once again be your lackey and do your bidding as a lapdog? I have had my fill of servitude and I wish not to serve anyone ever again." **Sauron replied.

"_**Servitude I do not ask of you, only the fulfillment of our shared desire and goal, Mairon." **_Eru stated to him. _**"A path to Arda is forever lost to you and never will you set foot in the Undying Lands, nor will you ever walk among your fellow Ainur. However, a path to Sekai is open for you, but only if you agree to follow it of your accord. It must be done only if you yourself choose to, and only your choice will see the realm saved from itself, or plunged into darkness. Know that should you decide to follow into Sekai, you won't be what Melkor made you to be, nor will I permit it. I will allow you to use means abhorrent to most of Valar to bring to light that Realm, but darkness must be balanced by light that you still hold. You will chose the way to victory and how to achieve your goal, as well as how to gain the realm of Sekai in your hold, without anyone interfering, without my say so, and as I have stated, you will have a very wide berth in actions."**_

"**And should I not agree?"** Sauron asked of him.

"_**Then I shall do what I must and end Sekai." **_Sauron's shock was evident to Eru. _**"Does this surprise you, Mairon? Do you think that cosmos is in stasis and does not change? Worlds are born and die every moment, what is one when compared to countless others?"**_

Sauron had wanted to retort, but found himself unable to. One side of him had wanted to say that he did not care one bit for Sekai and would rather see it destroyed. And yet there was another, one that had reminded him that his petty desire to see the world that wronged him destroyed was not in his nature, against his desires and ambitions. He may've long shed the identity of Mairon, but the core still remained the same: a world brought to state of paradise. He knew that such a world couldn't be achieved without force and power, but it also needed wisdom and compassion, something that as Sauron he lacked, while the former two were not used by him as Mairon. Two opposite side needed to work together if he was to succeed and the ambition remained in him. Middle-Earth was lost to him, but Sekai…

He would need to be more than Sauron and more than Mairon if he were to succeed, but was it not in his nature to grow out of his shortcomings and evolve into more? He would cast aside pride and reign in his arrogance, but he would not give into pacifism and ideals. He would turn those ideals to truth and life, yet he will not forget what he had done in the past. He was Sauron and Mairon, and so he Naruto as well, and all three were one being and together as one must they achieve the ultimate goal. The choice was made and die was cast by him.

"**I agree." **Sauron finally spoke after some time thinking. **"Yet how am I to succeed, if I am nothing but a wisp with no substance and power?"**

"_**A wisp you are now, but once in Sekai, you shall be what you were before you came to be Mairon, but with all your knowledge and experience gained in eons while serving me. You shall not be Ainur, and should you fall, you will die. Remember it well, my child, and good luck, Naruto Uzumaki." **_Without other words, Eru sent Sauron away to where he needed to be, before turning his attention to the one who hid himself from Sauron before. _**"Do you truly believe him to do what must be done?"**_

"**Yes, he knows the world of Shinobi and how rotten it is. The fact that he walked both in Light and Dark will help in bringing Sekai to what it must be. Along with that, without him, we can't stand to save Arda when Dagor Dagorath comes." **Spoke a hidden person, before revealing himself as Mandos, Valar of Destiny and Fate, and one who knows fates of all beings and realms. **"Morgoth always feared him and for a reason. In Sekai, he shall become the salvation of both Arda and Sekai, even if he may not know it yet."**

Eru had no reason to argue with his son, for he too knew that Mandos was right.

**Sekai, aka World of Shinobi and Chakra. 5 years after death of Naruto Uzumaki.**

A great storm rocked the seas and beaches of the Land of Waves, as thunder roared and lightning struck the ocean surface. And in the midst of it all, a sudden vortex formed in the skies and from it fell a form into the waters near the beaches, with storm soon quieting down. The form had moved itself back into the shore, grasping for air and falling on the wet sand, as it looked at his arm, seeing flesh and fingers on a palm of his hand. He rose up and walked to the clear waters to look upon the reflection of his.

In it, he saw a long mane of fiery red hair, same blazing with fire eyes and sharpened like knifes ears and a paler skin color. He was tall and masculine, a perfect specimen of an Elf, or Maiar, for this was the form of his past lives, and one that he employed when he was Mairon. He felt blood and chakra rushing in his body, as once more senses came to him.

Once again Sauron felt himself alive, as he smiled to himself in the reflection and spoke.

"I have returned."

* * *

**My most ambitious project yet, the first full on crossover story I had ever done is now officially launched. To those of you who follow my Dark Prince Rises story, you know what I mean. And my deepest thanks goes to the main inspirations of this, J.R.R. Tolkien and a fellow fanfiction writer VFSNAKE, who wrote a fantastic Naruto/Lord of the Rings story "Will of the Uzumaki". If you haven't read it, check it out it is tons of fun to read.**

**Now as for the story itself, this story will essentially revolve around Sauron doing what he does best- taking over the world, and ya bet your arses that this time he'll do it. Don't expect Nazguls, One Ring and some other common things with Sauron, as he will have to play differently than before. Now, I know that this chapter is essentially one big exposition and that there are parts with Sauron that are not canon, but I have tried to stick close to the original material to most possible degree. And before you start telling me that Sauron had always been with Morgoth, please check the Tolkien Wiki for information about him, and you will find out that it wasn't always the case, even if there aren't any concrete dates when speaking of Sauron.**

**In my mind, he had fully submitted to Morgoth when Feanor had led the Elves to avenge his father Finwe, and before that he was still in doubts and was loyal to Valar and Eru. Now as for his status as the greatest of Maiar, it is said so in lore. And although I had added quite a bit more content to Mairon's accession, I did hope to make it close to powers of Sauron that he possessed, and he had plenty of those. Also, how in hell Sauron loses to Huan, a whopping Wolf Maiar no one heard of, while his the strongest Maiar with all his might is beyond me in Sylmarilion, so I decided to make it seem like it was a needed move for his own plans.**

**Now, as for how frequently I'll update, I give no promises, but I do hope to do it along with my Dark Prince Rises, so stay tuned for an update.**

**I welcome your opinions on the chapter and story so feel free to send me reviews, questions, suggestions and more.**

**Next time: Coming to Wave; Second Liberation of Wave and Declaration of End.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Land of Waves**

After some time readjusting to having a physical body, along with recalling how to properly move, walk and run, Sauron had made his way off the shores and into the nearby woods. Surprisingly, he had little to no trouble recalling all of that, as he moved just as well as he had when he had a body like this. That's not to mention that his instincts, trained and toned muscles, coupled with the knowledge that he possessed back when he walked this world as Naruto Uzumaki. If anything, one would think that Eru had simply revived Sauron as Naruto, only with an older and finally matured body, as Sauron had clearly saw the differences between what he was as Naruto and what he was now in flesh. Still, he wasn't going to complain about not having any difficulties in adjustment to the world and the body he had, and even the fact of Sauron being utterly naked didn't sour his mood.

What did surprise Sauron, however, was the fact that he now sensed and felt the world around him completely differently from what he used, when compared to him being Naruto. Instead, he sensed that this world was just as alive as was Arda, with its energy and power felt in every leaf, grass, tree, and even water and air. It was a comforting feeling, one that enveloped fallen Maiar and granted him some modicum of peace, yet at the same time, he felt like he was moving through the depths of ocean, made of the very energy of Sekai. Having studied under Yavanna, Sauron knew that each world exudes its own potent power and energy, and if Arda's energy filled the world akin to a scent of flowers in the air, than in Sekai, that energy felt like water surrounding Sauron.

This could've served as an explanation to the fact that Sekai was a world teeming with Shinobi, essentially Sekai's analogue of wizards and witches of Arda of the mortal races. But to Sauron it also meant that not only was he capable of sensing and feeling this energy, or what he now dubbed Sekai Chakra, but he was also able to draw it into himself to replenish his own powers or strengthen even further. Hell, he could even manipulate this energy to his heart's content, and with the abundance of it just around him, Sauron immediately knew that the possible arsenal for his attacks and options had expanded quite greatly.

Having concluded his most recent findings at the moment, Sauron's mind immediately began to work out a plan for the future, with a sketch or a part of it already prepared. He first needed to know what the time was in this world, to determine if Eru had flung him into the past or the future, at the present of his death. To the omnipotent and omnipresent in all times and spaces being such as Eru, time was a concept quite different from the one to which Ainur and mortal races adhered. Second, was to gain information about the world's state and its affairs, first of all about Konoha and its dealings. That way Sauron will be able to start laying the foundation for his own power base and revenge that he was going to take. And thirdly, and the least important at the moment, was finding some clothes, if not to protect from cold, which never bother Sauron, then to at least look presentable.

Though it was night and the clouds were closing all the light of the stars and moon, Sauron had felt the sense of familiarity with the place, until he finally determined where he was. He was in the Land of Waves, the first place that had accepted Naruto Uzumaki as a living breathing being and not as a demon, as well as one of the few places that saw him as a hero for his deeds. Another set of good news, especially if Eru had flung Sauron into the future of Sekai from the moment Naruto's death. If this was so, he could expect a warm welcome for sure, and initial help from the villagers in his quest.

Before Sauron was able to further delve into his plans and thoughts, his senses had picked up that he was not as alone as he had initially perceived. Five sources of a different kind of energy, living and walking generators of Chakra, as Sauron first felt them, before he realized that this was how Shinobi must've felt to him. He stopped in his tracks and turned to the direction from which those sources were coming, practically seeing their frames with his fiery red eyes. They may've hid themselves well to fool mortals, but not too well from him, as he could even hear them breathe and unsheathing their weapons.

Feeling like a little bit of exercising, Sauron let out a small chuckle, before he stretched his form in a few exercises, before he suddenly vanished from sight in a soundless jump. After a few minutes, the group of five Shinobi, wearing vests of Konoha, with the headbands, stepped out of the bushes and looked around, before one of them had spoken out.

"Not a trace… But that couldn't have been the demon, right?" One of them spoke up. "I mean, that bastard's been dead for five years now, with his body burned, right?" The Shinobi was starting to sound panicked.

"Yeah, I saw his carcass burn myself, but that clearly looked like him, only older… Ugh, we were supposed to be looking for those Ice Twins, not ghosts of dead monsters." One of his comrades spoke up. "Let's head back to the town and report what we saw to Kakashi. Maybe he and Gai will decided to check things…" The shinobi was unable to finish up his sentence, as his eyes widened and his form fell down.

His comrades immediately looked at their fallen friend, to see a broken tree branch plunged into his skull, with the killer standing right behind him. Their eyes widened, forms trembled, as they could not believe their eyes and refused to admit that before them stood none other than revived Naruto Uzumaki. They had tried to move, reach out for their weapons or retreat, but one look in his fiery eyes… And all stood still and trembling, gripped in shackles of fear and terror beyond their imagination.

Sauron smirked as he saw his victims falling prey to the might of will and power, as he peered right into their souls and gripped them with his sheer will through his eyes. For countless millennia, Sauron had perfected the art of illusions, telepathy, mind control and breaking wills of others, having learned the basics from Irmo, Valar of Dreams and Visions. The knowledge gained from him and his siblings in matters of soul and spirit had inadvertently laid the foundation to one of Sauron's greatest weapons, ability to turn those weaker than he was in will and power into his slaves. Such power had helped him well when he made Saruman his pawn, and these four were nothing like the Istari wizard in terms of power and will.

Still it was good to know that while physically he was mortal, his spirit still remained as it was, and this little experiment had easily proved that. Having decided that he had enough of them, Sauron had commanded them with his mind to slit their throats with their weapons. The Shinobi obeyed without a single other thought in mind, their soul giving into power and wishes of Sauron. And as their forms fell down, Sauron's mind immediately analyzed what they said and made several conclusions: it has been five years since Naruto Uzumaki's death; there was some serious trouble in Wave again, since both Kakashi Hatake and Maito Gai were here; and Konoha was after Ice Twins, a description which only led him to two persons of whom Sauron could think of.

Understanding that things were worse than he had hoped in Wave, Sauron immediately decided to at least get the essentials. After a couple of minutes of looting the corpses, Naruto stood dressed in standard Shinobi garments of Konoha, much to his displeasure, with the pouches and sections of the vest filled with kunai, shurikens and scrolls with everything valuable he managed to get from corpses. At least for the time being, it would have to do, and he was preparing to put up a Henge of one of the dead, strengthened to not be noticed, as Sauron had determined that it would best to blend in with Konoha Shinobi, if they were here in large numbers.

However, before he could do so, Sauron felt coldness in the air that was not present there a minute a go, and then he saw the entire forest clearing filled with thick and laced with Chakra fog, preventing any vision further than a few meters. Sauron's eyes may've not been able to peel through the fog, but his senses of chakra were unaffected, and he quickly sensed out that the fog was created by two individuals, with one of them already behind him and preparing an ice blade to be plunged into his skull. Fallen Maiar had no intention of moving, even if he knew that he could take the two on, if he wanted, but he wished to play it out nicely. The ice blade reached the back of his head and then a male voice spoke.

"You have the looks of one of my fallen friends, and you aren't a friend to Konoha. Answer my questions, and I'll let you live and go. Fail, and you die here with them." A familiar, yet more mature voice of Naruto's first friend spoke, with Sauron nodding.

"Ask away, Haku." Sauron could sense the surprise on Haku's face, even if he couldn't see it. "Is Fuyuko well, by the way?"

"How do you know our names, imposter? And how can you imitate my dead friend's voice?"

"We've met about six years, when Kakashi was prepared to finish off Zabuza, but you plunged several senbon in Zabuza's neck. You appeared, wearing a Hunter-Nin mask, claiming to be one from Kiri and taking Zabuza with you, before disappearing." Sauron replied.

"Common knowledge, especially for someone who may pretend to be friend, yet at the same time works for Konoha." Haku replied in a chilling fashion, with Sauron letting out a sigh.

"I've met your sister three days later, after I woke from exhaustion on a clearing, after a harsh training. She wore a sleeveless kimono, colored light pink. She was picking up herbs for Zabuza, and I helped her out, she said that my eyes looked like two suns in crystals, while my long hair reminded her of a lion's mane." Sauron felt from the eased pressure of blade that Haku seemed to believe him. "Back then, I had mistaken her for you and told her that she shouldn't have helped Zabuza back then, as me and my team knew of her. She was surprised I told her that, and she replied that she wasn't there, and that it was you there. I told her that she should take you and leave, lest we should fight. She said that you and her followed Zabuza and would fight at his command, even if it meant fighting a friend. I told not a thing of that in a report, nor to Kakashi and my team, as they didn't count for Zabuza having two aids."

"True… One last thing- how did I survive being impaled by Kakashi, exactly?" Haku asked the question the answer to which only was available to Naruto.

"A Substitution Jutsu, made right before Kakashi plunged his Raikiri into your chest. The body was that of an already dead boy of your age, appearance altered by Fuyuko through her Medical Jutsu, prepared along with the other one, in case you needed to disappear. You told me that the day I went to bury your and Zabuza's body. I said that I knew you were alive, because the corpse didn't smell like a girl on a hot date." Sauron smirked, as the fog had dissipated and a blade was moved away from his head.

Sauron turned around to take a look at Haku, seeing him standing just a little bit lower than him, dressed in a black shirt, free black pants and boots, with dark blue haori on him, hiding beneath it what looked like chainmail, along with a belt holding several pouches. Haku's face was no longer that of a young girl, having gained masculine lines, yet losing none of the beauty. Only instead of feminine charm it showed a handsome face that any girl would kill for, with well-built body covered by clothing and his long black hair made into a tail behind and two bangs on either side of his face, which showed utter shock when looking at Sauron.

"N-Naruto? But how… I-I… Fuyuko and I… We both were there, y-you…" Haku struggled to find words to express his shock, with Sauron simply chuckling and speaking up to ease the mind of his friend.

"Well, well, would you look at that: you've finally stopped borrowing your sister's lipstick." Sauron smirked at the look of indignation on Haku's face. "And you've finally started to resemble a man, though I may be speaking with Fuyuko, in which case…"

"In which case you better shut up before I slug you." Haku warned him with righteous fury present on his face, before his features softened and a smile appeared on his face and pulled Naruto into a tight hug. "Naruto, it's really you, my friend!" Sauron answered the hug with his.

"Yeah, though, not the very same as I were when we last saw each other, Haku." Sauron said to him, disengaging from each other. "I know that this is shock and confusing, but I can explain."

"And we'll love to hear it, but right now I'm just happy to see you." Haku smiled to him, as he saw Sauron turning around and looking at his friend's sister.

Sauron's eyes fell upon the twin sister of his friend, who stood at the same height as Haku, yet instead of a masculine build, she was a near pinnacle of feminine beauty. Silky white hair, previously black like her brother, reaching to her chin, with a face that some Maiar would be jealous of, with bright blue eyes, accented by red makeup around them. The figure of the woman was also one not to scoff at, with a black closed top hugging her impressive chest and hourglass waist, with a blue shirt reaching to her knees, accented by white long tights and traditional sandals. Above her closed top was a white overcoat with blue trimmings in design, with a black belt holding her waist. If Haku had dressed with practical accent, then Fuyuko dressed with an accent to charm and show her beauty, with Sauron most certainly approving of the fashion change.

"Naruto?" She asked with shock in her voice, her usual cool demeanor dropping. "Are you really you?"

"If I was not, why would Haku spare me, Fuyu-chan?" Sauron recalled the nickname he gave to the girl, with her blushing a little at the mention of it, before composing herself. "And I am glad to see you, Fuyuko. Love the new style and hair, by the way, though I do wonder about the hair? Don't misunderstand, it looks most lovely on you, but still…"

"Got tired of being confused for my brother all the time." She simply replied, before looking around. "We should get moving, before more of these come after us."

"Not before we deal with the bodies…" Haku said and was ready to dispose of the corpses, when he and Fuyuko looked at something they did not expect to see.

Sauron turned his gaze upon the dead and with a simple command of his mind, the earth had begun to envelope and devour the forms of the fallen Shinobi. Having been the head Maiar of Aule and learned all there was about substance of earth and its composition, Sauron had no trouble commanding it to do his bidding. Within a few seconds, the clearing had returned into the state it was before the Shinobi appeared, with corpses deep underground. Haku and Fuyuko looked at Sauron with shock, before he spoke up.

"Like I said, I am not the same as I was." He simply stated. "Do you have a place where we can speak at length and in safety?"

"Yeah, Zabuza's old hideout. We've made home there and no one knows of, Konoha or people of Wave." Haku said to him, with Sauron nodding to him, and the trio headed right towards it.

* * *

**Sometime later. Zabuza's former hideout.**

Hideout of which Haku spoke of turned out to be nothing short of an abandoned Uzumaki outpost, having been built hundreds of years ago and serving as a forward base for Uzumaki Shinobi. Such outposts were quite numerous and extremely well hidden, so as to allow safety for Uzumaki Shinobi, along with being stacked with food, supplies, weapons and armor, though all was behind sealed away doors. Haku and Fuyuko had stated that Zabuza found this one purely by chance, and had made it their base, though he was unable to gain access into the stores of this place. Sauron had stated that it was natural, as Uzumaki were protective of their secrets, as he recalled from writings of Mito Uzumaki. He would later take a look at the stores, but until then, he had to answers some needed questions and to ask the questions of his own.

He could've easily spin a most elaborate and truth like lie, but instead of using lies, Sauron had decided to be truthful with his friends. These two had proven to him in the darkest of times that there were those that could be counted on and seen as friends, and Sauron never forgot that. He was prepared to face their judgment and see what their reaction would be, and so he spoke at great length and detail, leaving nothing out of his tale. Haku and Fuyuko listened without interrupting, hearing everything about Eru, Valar, Maiar and Melkor… And of what Naruto Uzumaki had become. Minutes became hours and when Sauron had finished his tale, it was deep night and his first friends were left speechless. He patiently waited for their reactions, with Haku being the first to speak up.

"Kami…" Was all that he could muster to tell, with Sauron speaking up again.

"Yeah, though I know him as Eru." He told them. "I know this sounds like a lunatic's dream but…"

"But I believe you." Fuyuko finally spoke up, with Sauron looking at her with shock. "You didn't lie, though you could, and you wanted to be clear with us. Your body does not lie to my eye. And as for what you did… You had your reason, though warped and tainted, but I can understand what you wanted. I myself wouldn't mind having a world that you had in mind."

"Me too, though to find out you've literally became another world's greatest evil… You always knew how to get attention, didn't you?" Haku joked, with Sauron not smiling at that one. "Truth be told, all this is hard to take it, but I don't really care for what you were in that Arda. You are here and that's good news for me and my sis, though what are we to call you now? You've seemed to have made a ton of names, friend."

"Sauron. That is the name I now hold and wear as my own." He replied without any joy in the voice. "Seems to fit, given all the abominable things I had done."

"Yet Kami sent you back here for some reason, and I doubt he would've sent an evil person back here." Fuyuko stated. "Why did you send you back to us, Sauron?"

"To do what I had strived to do in Arda, essentially." Sauron replied, confusing them. "Eru is displeased with how things are in the world, and sees Shinobi as something that can very well destroy the world. He wants me to take the reins of power and guide humanity to a better way, and he seems to be quite lenient with me now, as he has given me a Carte Blanche on my methods, though while I was in the void… Let's just say I had some time to realize an error in some of my actions."

"If you say so." Haku simply stated. "I take it he didn't leave you much of a choice, did he?"

"Either I correct the world, or Sekai, as this world is known, will be destroyed by his will." Sauron saw the shock on their faces. "I am not joking on this matter. For Eru, to destroy a world or create one is as easy as is for you take a breath, and no world is more important to him as any other, Arda included."

"Well, can't I say we are all too pleased with the world as it is, and it could certainly use some… correction." Haku let out a sigh. "I guess you are probably wondering what those Shinobi were after and what they were doing in Wave, right?"

"Among other things, yeah." Sauron told him. "Could you fill me in on what has come to pass since my departure?"

"Like Haku said, world hadn't gotten better for many, safe for Konoha." Fuyuko said coolly to him. "After your death, we've decided to return to the Wave and settle down, since Kiri was in a middle of a war, while any other Village would've used as breeding machines, given our Ice Release. Tazuna accepted us with his family and we lived with them, until Konoha Shinobi had moved in here and occupied the country, using a pretense of pacifying a leaderless Country and providing aid to an ally of Fire Country. In reality, Fire Daimyo had placed his younger brother as a de-facto Wave Daimyo, essentially taking Wave as a part of his own Country, with Konoha Shinobi suppressing any and all opposition."

"And there were _a lot_ of people unhappy with this damn invasion, especially given the fact of Konoha executing you for no reason at all." Haku continued after his sister took a sip of water. "That act had served to reveal the rotten nature of Konoha and its people, but that was the start. Less than a week after your death, your damn father had welcomed back into Konoha Orochimaru, forgiving him of all his crimes and with Konoha _accepting _him back with open arms, along with his mutants and criminals, at least those that chose to follow him."

"Wait, Minato Namikaze is alive?!" Sauron asked with anger and shock in his voice. "I've cut open that bastard from navel to his ribs, I saw his guts spill out onto the floor. There was no way he could've survived that!"

"We too thought the same, and yet somehow he pulled through and is stronger than ever." Fuyuko said to Sauron. "His miraculous healing was seen as a sign of God by people of Konoha, further making the man into a living messiah for those fools. They eat every single word he tells them, that's how he convinced to take back Orochimaru and that your siblings, or former siblings, are heroes for holding Kyuubi's power and using it for Konoha, while you were a manifestation of Kyuubi's soul. Konoha and Fire Country bought it all, while everyone else weren't as convinced and saw what Konoha did as betrayal of one of their own and many of their allies turned their back on them, with Spring Country being the first one to do so."

"Spring? You mean Snow Country?" Sauron asked of them.

"Yep, though it's Spring Country now, and your Lady Daimyo friend, Koyuki Kazahana, hasn't forgiven Konoha and Fourth Hokage for what they had done to you. She proclaimed your death to be a crime, and for that she severed all ties with Konoha and Fire Country, before declaring you to be the greatest hero of her Land." Haku said to Sauron. "She used you as an example for her own Shinobi forces, which she seriously expanded and has made taken steps to strengthening her country and military. Spring now is the leading power of the Eastern continent, with other lands near it either having joined Spring through diplomacy, or out of fear for their own safety, since Konoha has been going out of their way to gain a firm foothold on that continent. They didn't spare any means for that: subterfuge, assassinations, hiring mercenaries and bandits, bribery and more. They've also reportedly tried to assassinate Koyuki on at least three separate occasions, but failed. Aside from the Northern Alliance, she is the only significant enough threat to power of Konoha and Fire Country."

"Northern Alliance? Am I to understand that this is an alliance between Kumo and Iwa against Konoha and Suna?" Sauron asked, with Haku letting out a sigh. "What, did I say something wrong?"

"The Alliance stands only against Konoha, not Konoha and Suna, because Sunagakure no Sato has been destroyed three years ago, by Konoha." Fuyuko stated much to the shock of Sauron. "After the failed invasion of Konoha, Suna had tried to make peace, at first, but with Orochimaru and many of Sound Shinobi incorporated into Konoha, they decided not to, even if it spelled trouble for them. Instead, they tried to ally with their northern neighbor and former enemy, Iwa, but that wasn't going to happen, as the talks dragged on. In two years of their remaining life, Suna was ruled by a provisional council, since there wasn't anyone able to take place of a Kazekage, as he was dead. In the end, however, that very same Council had decided to sell Suna out to its enemies, Konoha Shinobi and Fourth Hokage. Haku and I had went to Suna, having taken a job at the time, and we saw how Shinobi of Konoha simply gone ahead and occupied the place without any resistance."

"That's impossible. Even if Suna was the weakest of the Big Five, you can't just go ahead and take it like this. Wind Daimyo and the government of Wind Country wouldn't just allow it, since it would jeopardize the strength and security of the country itself." Sauron stated in disbelief of hearing about Suna. "And even if council had betrayed the village, its Shinobi wouldn't have done so. I know Temari and Gaara wouldn't have and would've fought tooth and nail for its survival."

"Normally that would be the case, but… Wind Daimyo, much like most Daimyo of this era, doesn't care about such 'trifles' and saw Suna as a waste money and resources, which would better be spent for something else." Haku said with contempt. "He left Suna to its fate, and you are right, Sauron. After Suna's Shinobi found out about the betrayal, most of them had rose up in rebellion and were even able to drive Konoha forces out of their Village, but that's where their luck ran out. Fourth Hokage had sent mostly a token force to occupy Suna, and after the defeat of his forces, he deployed his most powerful weapon- Jinchuriki Twins, with a fully controlled Kyuubi chakra in both of them. It wasn't even a battle, it was a slaughter, with both of those brats having manifested Kyuubi and destroying Suna without any mercy. There aren't even ruins left of it, only sand and nothing more."

"Majority of Suna Shinobi were wiped out in that battle, surviving civilian population that was evacuated had found shelters in the deserts. Those Suna Shinobi that did survive had left Wind Country and went their own ways, most going to either Iwa or to Yukigakure, which now one of Big Five." Fuyuko said to Sauron. "I don't know about Temari, but Gaara was killed in that battle with the twins, securing the retreat of what forces were left. We were a safe distance away, yet saw it all, and we saw how Fourth had managed to rip One Tailed Beast from captured Gaara and sealed it away in one of Konoha Shinobi."

Sauron looked at his cup of water with disbelief, coming in terms at what he had heard. Gaara was dead, Suna destroyed and Konoha was behind it all, with his former father siblings destroying them all… He thought he left hell when Eru picked him up, yet now he found that he wasn't in hell back then. And this was probably not the end of the bad news.

"What the hell is Konoha doing in Wave, and what do they want with you?" Sauron asked of them, heat coming off of his form, a sign of his power and anger.

"Like we said, Fire Country and Konoha had been expanding their influence without any care for others, and Wave Country is the prime target for them. It sits at a vital and valuable trading route, has safe harbors for ships, and is a perfect place for amassing a naval power. Aside from that, Konoha moved in because aside from now fallen Waterfall Country and Spring Country, it remained as the most vocal enemy of Fire Country and Konoha, and the fact that people here remember you as a hero and a savior didn't help the matters." Fuyuko explained. "Wave Daimyo had been invited to visit capitol of Fire Country, so as to help mend the relations between the Lands, but was killed in a supposed bandit attack. And less than a day after we learn of the assassination, as this was nothing else, Konoha brings in over 50 Shinobi with 500 Samurai from Fire Capitol to occupy the land. Tazuna and many others had tried to stand up to them, but they were executed, along with everyone who talked about you as a hero. Crows and vultures have no shortage of food these days."

"Population is oppressed worse than with Gato, with daily executions just to amuse that overgrown bastard of a Daimyo, while Kakashi and Gai call the shots. They found out about me being alive and that we are here from the people they tortured." Haku let out a tired breath. "We've been hiding here for over a month now, and every day we hide, more and more of people that we lived with die and suffer. I heard they planned to execute Tsunami and Inari tomorrow, wanted to bath them in boiling oil, those sick bastards…" Sauron's cup shattered after hearing of this, as he suddenly rose up from his seat at the table and moved out into the corridor, ignoring Haku and Fuyuko.

He practically trembled from fury and anger, having heard enough of the atrocities that Konoha was committing. Sauron's fury hadn't been enflamed like this in many years, not since the days when he had first fought Balrogs and Orcs in their full deformed glory, back in the War for the Elves. He couldn't have thought that the time would come that he would command those creatures to do his bidding, and yet he did and many atrocities he had committed. But in all of his actions, Sauron never hid under pretense and did not try to paint himself as overly good, despite what many may think. He knew he did evil and he knew that for that he shall be punished and moved forward if only to fulfill his task. Sauron was no novice to evil, and yet what Konoha was committing and had committed already…

It brought out such fury from Sauron, that all thought of caution and planning went out the window. Konoha was going to pay with blood for all the crimes they had committed, and he will see to it personally! For the first time in eons, a righteous fury and rage led Sauron to do what was right, to fight for the just cause and for the first time in near eternity he felt like he was once more doing what he was created for and willed to do- fighting for the better world. For the first time in eons, Sauron once more felt himself become Mairon, and a feeling was as strange as it was invigorating.

He easily traversed the halls of the hideout, before finding himself at the entrance of the armory. Sauron's eyes immediately saw an intricate seal upon the doors, unlocked only when a payment in blood was paid, the blood of the Uzumaki. Without hesitation, Sauron took out a kunai and slashed his hand, placing it upon the doors and unlocking them, before stepping inside the dark place and lighting up torches in the place. The smile upon Sauron's face was as vicious as it was frightening for his enemies of the past, as the armory was filled with the armors, swords, spears, bows and arrows and everything a warrior like him would need. Uzumaki styled weapons were eerily similar to those of Elves and Mortal men of Arda, a twist of fate perhaps, or maybe a consequence of influence of Valar.

Regardless, the quality of the weapons and armor here were not just good, but exceptional, even by the standards of Sauron. He had to give credit where it was due and state that Uzumaki craftsmen and smiths would've made him and Aule proud with their quality and state of the art craftsmanship. Most of the objects here even had runes upon them, a form of Sealing Arts that enhances armors and weapons, granting them extra attributes and more. Sauron was most certainly pleased, and went to town with what he was offered, as shed the vest of Konoha and much of the garments.

When Haku and Fuyuko had caught with Sauron, they saw the doors of armory opened, and the one who swung them open still inside. Taking a look inside, both of the siblings were amazed at the not just number, but also quality of weapons, and as it looked. For them, to see such plate and scale armors, long and straight double-edged swords, along with many other sorts of weapons and things, and in such number were strange and unusual. They knew that Uzumaki Nation was different from all other countries and people, but not in such a way.

And then they laid their eyes upon Sauron, and saw him as he was finishing putting on his armor and garments. His back was covered by a red cloak with a white swirling sun in the center, reaching to his knees. His shoulders were covered by silver-like steel bent plates, covering part of his biceps, with same colored bracers covering his wrists, with sun and moon coming into one depicted on them, scales underneath a red gambeson protecting areas between plates.

Torso was also protected by a full plate breastplate with silver coloring and a red phoenix on the chest, armor seemingly segmented to allow move freedom of movements for the wearer. From underneath the plate shown heavy red skirt, split in the middle and reaching to the knees, with scales coming underneath, protecting upper legs, while plates covered lower thighs of Sauron. His belt was adorned by two short curved swords with silver hilts, just barely reaching the length over daggers, while in his left arm rested a bow, made of some black wood, in length reaching to Sauron's waist when put alongside his frame. And finally, Sauron picked up with his right hand a longsword, with red leather handle and silver steel guard, with guard's ends facing outwards and a ring for a head. The blade itself was narrower than most here, but just as long and thick, and many runes were etched upon it on each side, glowing with red when Sauron grasped the blade. A quick examination was enough for Sauron to determine that this was the weapon for him, as he sheathed it back.

"You will stick out as a sore thumb with all this steel and plate, not to mention you will be as loud as a snoring whale on the surface." Fuyuko stated to Sauron, before he turned to face her and Haku, while making not a noise at all.

"Special runes on the armor, preventing sound from being produced, and I am won't be hiding from anyone." Sauron simply said to her, as he placed the sword on his back and checking his bracers.

"Sauron, even if you manage to drive Konoha Shinobi out, even if you kill all the Samurai, Daimyo and Hokage will just send more of the forces here and once they do…" Haku had tried to explain to Sauron why it was a stupid idea, but Sauron stopped him.

"Which is why you and Fuyuko will evacuate the Wave on the ships and sail to Spring Country." Sauron suddenly stated to them. "Wave should have more than enough ships to transport the people from here to Spring, and Koyuki is more than welcomes anyone who hates Konoha, right? I know that the position of Wave isn't defendable against Konoha and even I can't fight all the time, but I can, however, drive them out of here and make them pay for every soul they killed, as well as every step they'll make in retaking it."

"You plan to buy Wave as much time as you so that we can escape?" Fuyuko asked of him, with Sauron nodding to it. "However powerful you may be, alone you can't just hold them off, even for a short amount of time. And then there is Fire Country's fleet based in former Bear Country, just waiting to block the sea for any and all transports."

"I'll deal with that and Konoha, and as for you two, I'm giving you a choice: either you help me out tomorrow in retaking Wave, or help out people evacuate while I hold off the enemies from all sides." Sauron simply stated to them, as he moved towards them and then past them.

"Naruto, this is madness, you can't just win alone against all of them." Haku stated to him, with Sauron turning back to face him, with his burning fiery look which was more than enough to instill a sense of fright in both of them.

"Haku, my name is Sauron, and sometimes only madness can be enough to stop evil. That's how I fell, remember." Sauron told him, as he turned towards the exit and went towards it, no plan in his head, but a burning desire for death and destruction in their place.

* * *

**Wave Country's City. Morning.**

As the sun rose up above the clouds, people of the Wave poured out of their homes, forced to endure another execution of their friends and countrymen. And yet the sight of death and despair wasn't the worst for the people to endure, but the knowledge that they were powerless to do anything to stop it all, helpless before these monsters and bastards. If they had thought that Gato was cruel, then Konoha with its sadistic pig of a usurper was downright evil and monstrous towards them, as he used his forces to extort everything he could gain from them, leaving barely enough to get by. And if that is not enough, there is also the matter of Konoha Shinobi just plainly beating, if the people are lucky, or killing innocent men and women for just mentioning the name of Naruto Uzumaki, a Hero that took a stand against Gato and his tyranny. To him was dedicated The Great Naruto Bridge, now renamed The Great Konoha Bridge, built by late Tazuna, and now his daughter and grandson shall be sharing his fate.

Konoha's Shinobi had positioned themselves all around the main square, ready to take out anyone who would try to begin trouble, with about a hundred Samurai here as well to support them. The entire place was surrounded and packed with people of Wave, with Shinobi and Samurai blocking all the paths out. In front of the people stood a giant black pot, with fire burning underneath it and a gut wrenching smell coming out of the pot. A platform was built for the placement of the prisoners in the pot, towards which were led Inari and Tsunami, both with their arms in irons and looking like they endured hell. Once they were brought onto the platform, Maito Gai stepped in front of the people while standing on the platform and spoke up in his usual manner.

"People of Wave, for the crimes agaisnt your new and truly youthful rulers, these unyouthful and foul people were condemned to the death by boiling oil! Let this be a reminder to you all, that even a mention of such foul demon as Naruto Uzumaki is a crime worthy of worst punishments! Now, with me, shout to out and praise the YOUTH!" Gai shouted out, as did his former student Rock Lee, while Kakashi simply ordered the Shinobi to tie up the two prisoners and just get it over with.

And as the ropes began were in hands of Shinobi, a whistle was heard in the air, which suddenly became louder and louder. None had paid to it any mind, until a glitter in the air could be seen… and the four Shinobi holding Tsunami and Inari were struck by arrows in their heads. None had reacted in time, and as the shout of Gai was silenced by whistles, the square's edges suddenly became killing grounds, as Samurai and Shinobi alike began to fall like flies, struck by arrows. Kakashi, Gai and many others had moved to cover, forgetting all about Tsunami and Inari, just barely avoiding being struck by arrows, yet many more Samurai and Shinobi fell, as they kept coming, as if released by an army.

The people of Wave had panicked and ducked down, yet soon realized that no arrow was coming their way and all fell upon Konoha's Shinobi. Several of the cowards had tried to use civilians as living shields, and their fate was sealed when their heads were pierced by sharp tips of arrows. The barrage continued for less than two minutes, and in this time, number of Samurai had been reduced to thirty, with half of that number wounded, while Shinobi were still had twenty able personal, along with many of their best trained members. And as the barrage had silenced, a powerful and strong voice spoke, it's source coming from the platform.

"If a mention of my name is enough to warrant such a gruesome death, then what shall you Konoha do, once you face me?" The entire square was silent, as all turned their heads to see the source of the voice.

In that moment, Konoha Shinobi and Samurai froze in horror and terror, and yet spirits of Wave people were lifted, as upon that platform, adorned in colors of silver and red stood the savior of Wave and Demon of Konoha. A bow in his hand, and an arrow placed upon it, his blazing gaze firmly fixed upon the Jonins of Konoha, as the red mane of hair flowed freely in the wind. And in that moment, a whisper of Inari was as loud as thunder, as he and his mother looked from the masses, speaking the name of their savior.

"Naruto…"

* * *

**Oh, how I hate and love myself when giving such cliffhangers, but I couldn't resist myself, as the chapter turned out to be longer than I originally planned, and still… Anyway, Sauron is officially back and he is gonna kick an unholy amount of arse in Sekai. And as to why he has such incredible powers already, let me explain a bit. As was stated in previous chapter, Sauron had studied under all Valar and is familiar with the energies and magic in the world around him, and he has helped make and shape Arda (Middle-Earth world to those that only watched movies). For him, manipulation of elements of nature and Magic, especially in Sekai, where it is far more abundant (which explains the number of Shinobi, an equivalent to mages) is just as easy as for Shinobi to use Jutsu. **

**Now, I will admit that I was interested in making Fem!Haku, which had become a common enough trope in Naruto Fanfiction, but then I also wanted for Naruto to have a friend Haku as a male. And then my brain gave me this: Do them both, one as male and the other as female! And then I said: Brain, you are a genius! And so I did! **

**The looks of Fuyuko (Winter Child in Japanese, if I remember correctly) are based off Kaga from mobile game Azur Lane, without fox ears and tails (sorry Azur Lane fans, if you read it). She is a more an indirect and support fighter, but just as dangerous as Haku, possessing more variety and ingenuity in using them. Next chapter will show their full potential in battle, which will be out soon.**

**Now, I am stunned at how well my first Chapter had been received so far and I hope it will continue to be so.**

**Review, Suggest, Question, I all answer all.**

**Next time: Battle for Wave Country; Student against Master.**


	3. Chapter 3

Words of Inari were heard by all in the square akin to thunder roaring in a storm and people of Wave looked up in hallowed shock, laying their eyes upon the person on the platform. A murmur began to spread amongst them all, quickly growing in loudness, as whispers began to form into loud calls.

"It's Naruto! Wave's Savior has returned!"

"Kami has heard our suffering and sent him to us! Our Savior is with us again!"

"Avenge our fallen, Naruto! Kill those damn bastards!"

"Death to Konoha! Death to the tyrants and usurper!"

"Our Archangel is with us! Kami is with us once more!"

The cries began to fill the square and as it was starting to become deafening, Shinobi and Samurais had begun to come back to their senses. Shock had left them, terror retreated, as rage and anger for the fallen comrades and the visage of Sauron had burned their souls with fury. One of the more enraged Samurai has had enough of the shouts, as he went on to grab a small girl right out of the mother's arms, intent to silencing the crowd… only when he reached to her with his hand, an arrow reached his skull and pierced the bone and meat.

Sauron's eyes and sight was upon the Samurai once he moved, and arrow left his bow in the next second. With a silent command, he summoned out of the storage seal on his right hand another arrow and placed at the ready, before he addressed Konoha and Samurai.

"You have had your fill of blood and suffering, you mongrels, and now you shall pay for each and every life you have taken." Sauron spoke in a threatening voice, as he felt Sekai Chakra enveloping his form at his command. "No man, woman or child of Wave shall die today. And as for you, Konoha and Samurai, I will show no mercy, so if you value your life, then run to your lords, and prey to whatever deity you worship, that my wrath does not reach you today."

"Pft, what a load of shit and piss!" Sauron's gaze fell upon the one who talked, Anko Mitarashi, as she stepped out of hiding. "You really think that we, Konoha Shinobi, will back off just because you decided to play masquerade and Henge yourself into that demon brat? You and your pals hiding out may've killed some of our own, but you are now in our range and view."

"Yeah, no one gets away with that kind of stuff, not with the best Shinobi in the world!" Tenten shouted out to Sauron, producing one of her kunai out storage scroll, before throwing it at Sauron. "Take that, you faker!"

Kunai was dead set to hit his head, so Sauron simply tilted it to the side, yet allowing the steel to reach him and graze his skin. Shinobi and Samurai alike were elated, eager to see the Genjutsu dispersed, and people of Wave desperate to see it happen not. And what they saw next second was enough to dispel both hopes and despairs- a clear line of blood on Sauron's left cheekbone, not enough to scar, yet enough for blood to flow out of the open cut. Sauron's smile instilled a new sense of fear and terror into his enemies:

He was no illusion.

He was no imposter.

He was real.

And he has come for them.

Wasting no more time, Sauron jumped high up from the platform, becoming a blur to even Gai and Kakashi. Drawing upon Sekai Chakra, he had converted it into Wind Chakra and accelerated his jump and speed, before loosening an arrow at an enemy. A direct hit through the vest and into the heart, right in the midflight. Another flowed with immense power in it, piercing armor of a Samurai, and another into Shinobi's eye. One last into Samurai's throat, before Sauron had landed into the middle of the square, people dispersing from the place with haste, as they knew a battle was to take place here now, but lingering at the edges of it.

Landing on his feet, Sauron straightened up, as he sealed away his bow, leaving himself seemingly with no weapons and drawing upon none on himself. The remaining Samurai, both injured and not, decided not to waste time and went towards Sauron, battle cries heard loud and curses flung at his person, yet he remained unmoved. As the first Samurai neared him, his katana held high above his head, Sauron's eyes widened for a second, his senses becoming sharper in an instant, as he dashed towards his first attacker.

Quick on his feet and in draw, Sauron captured warrior's lock on his weapon with his right hand, before the left one reached for one of his short swords. He plunged it into the Samurai's belly and carving him up like a pig, spilling his guts out in the open, as his form fell. Sauron's right hand caught the katana and used it two horizontal slashes of his enemies, before dancing between them and slitting their throats with his weapons. And then Sauron began the slaughter in the earnest, as he moved from one Samurai to the other, striking them without mercy and with fullest impunity. A quick cut of the throat, piercing the middle of chest, slashing off the head, plunging steel into the back and severing spines- all that and more was witnessed by Konoha's Shinobi and people of Wave.

Sauron had moved like as freely as a wind, yet struck as ferociously and precise as did lighting. Neither Kakashi nor Gai had seen anyone in the life who could move with such a murderous grace and elegance, wielding weapons like they were musical instruments. Though both Neji and Kakashi still hadn't drawn out their ocular powers out, one didn't need Sharingan or Byakugan to _feel_ the might of Sauron in this instant. None of the Shinobi of Konoha here held any form of respect for Naruto, and saw him as inferior to them, a miniscule nuisance without any sort of power, using trick and mischief for his victories.

Even after the slaughter they witnessed before he even appeared, they held onto the belief that even someone as unskilled, in their opinions, as Samurai of Fire Country would be enough to kill him. Yet now he slaughtered them without even breaking sweat and the battle seemed to only be starting, as Konoha's Shinobi drew out their weapons and readied themselves for the fight. Sauron had just finished off the last of Samurai, having plunged the borrowed katana in his heart, before leaving it there and sheathing the sword back. As he did so, Kakashi spoke up, finally drawing out his Sharingan, along with Neji activating his Byakugan.

"I don't know how you've returned, Naruto, but I am afraid this little reunion is-ARGH!" Kakashi's scream, mixed in with the scream of Neji was heard through all of Wave, as they locked their eyes on them.

"Ah, trying to get a read on me with those pesky eyes, you two? I advise against it, people of stronger will and greater might then you couldn't withstand looking at me and slit their throats just to escape my presence." Sauron smirked at them, as he finally drew out his main steel from his back. "But don't worry, I promise each and all of you a particularly painful and gruesome end."

"Kakashi, Neji, wh-what did he do to you two?" Iruka, now a Jonin, asked of them both, trying not to tremble at the sight before them. "You demon, how in the hell are you even back?!"

"Sent back by Kami to destroy you and your damned Village, everything personal." Sauron allowed himself to jest, as he began to move towards them all at a slow pace.

"Dammit, kill him!" Anko commanded to the Shinobi of lesser rank than hers.

Konoha Shinobi were known for their strength and battle prowess, as well as the respect of the rank, and so Chuunin and Special Jonin all followed the command of their higher ranking officer, rushing towards Sauron from all sides and above him. A smile crossed Sauron's face, his eyes gaining fire in them, as he finally moved towards the ones he wanted destroyed the most in this world- Konoha Shinobi. At his full speed, he literally slammed into a Chuunin, sending him flying backwards onto the ground, before Sauron spin on his feet, slashing his sword at an attacking Nin, cutting off his arm, sword's runes blazing red, as blood on the blade evaporated into a red mist.

Weapon's special power in full effect- burning through all its wielder wishes, melting armor, flesh and bone, cauterizing any wound upon touch as well. Scream of the poor soul was quickly silenced, when another swing took his head, with Sauron moving in a dance keeping his opponents from landing at clear hit or even coming close. Two more Shinobi decided to charge him from both sides, their kunai drawn and pointed towards his head, yet they found only air when they reached their target, as it leapt upwards.

His eyes fixed upon them for a second, before a great flame erupted from his mouth, engulfing them and reducing them to ashes. Wasting no time, Sauron grabbed his cloak and suddenly sent it towards the sword of an attacking from above Shinobi. Pulling her towards her with his cloak around her blade, plunged his sword in her belly, driving it through her back and then outwards, as her form fell.

As he had landed on his feet, Sauron took a quick glance of his surroundings, and saw that seven Shinobi had surrounded him and finished up with their hand seals. A hale of attacks had erupted from them, with Fire, Water, Wind, Earth and Lighting all coming towards him. Sauron had readied himself to evade it all, but his senses had picked up a familiar chill, bring an ironic warmth to his heart and a smile to his face. A sudden blizzard had engulfed area around him, gushing winds and flying ice stopping all attacks from reaching him, as he remained unharmed.

At the same moment as the vortex of frost and wind appeared around Sauron, seven Demonic Ice Mirrors formed and opened up right underneath the casters. Their forms immediately were dragged down into mirrors, before being frozen and crashed into pierces, bodies crashing with the ice and returning back into the world as chunks of flesh and bones. As the blizzard had subsided, remaining Shinobi and Wave people bore witness to two allies arriving at their savior's side. Haku and Fuyuko stood at his left and right respectably, with Haku's right hand gripping an ice katana, while Fuyuko sported a blood thirsty look. Sauron's smirk was unforgettable.

"Took you long enough. " Sauron simply told them, as glanced first at Fuyuko and then at Haku, who had decided not to put his mask on. "I was starting to get bored playing with them."

"Thanks for saving some for us." Fuyuko thanked her in a cool manner, before her tone changed to one with more thirst for blood. "I've been itching to spill some of Konoha blood for a long time now. All this blood of Wave innocents has really riled up my thirst!" Cold and frost began to form near the young woman, as the Shinobi felt terror at the sight of her.

"I see Fuyuko still hasn't lost this charming side to her, has she?" Sauron asked of Haku. "Also, that new move with the mirrors- yours or her?"

"Mine, I've always been in love with reflections and mirrors, remember? We've had plenty of time to learn a few new tricks." Haku chuckled. "Leave the fodder to us and go for the head. We'll help out once we clean this place up."

"Have a nice time you two." Sauron told them, as he suddenly saw twenty five more so called 'fodder' appear around. "Hm, they've been bringing reinforcements. Need a hand with them?"

"No, we'll manage this rabble." Fuyuko stated to him. "Leave some dessert after we are done here."

"I'll try, but I'm plenty hungry myself." Sauron leapt away from the twins, with five Shinobi trying to follow after him.

Right as they were nearing Sauron in the air, a large Ice Mirror formed in their path, before Haku leapt out of it with his ice sword. In a blink of an eye, he slashed two on his way, before disappearing into another Mirror, only reappear from the other and taking the head of the third. Before the unlucky Shinobi could notice, they were surrounded by Ice Mirrors and its caster was leaping in the air amongst them, taking their lives. In a few seconds, the attackers were dead and Haku reappeared from an Ice Mirror near his sister again, while the once he created before melted down. Fuyuko simply raised her brow up at that one and spoke up.

"Doesn't count." She simply stated, before she rushed towards her prey, ice already forming at her command near her, with Haku simply chuckling.

"Still counts." He rushed after her, brandishing his sword and matching her step.

* * *

As Fuyuko's face showed a pleased grin, air around her filled with ice and creatures of cold and ice began to form at her command, little ice birds commanded by her will. As they had formed, she sent her flock towards her prey, their forms fast and deadly, with their sharp beaks piercing flesh and bone, with four Shinobi falling victim to Fuyuko's _Birds of Prey_ Jutsu. Three other Shinobi had tried to take her life up close, yet she remained calm in form, though in mind she already pictured their deaths.

Without seals of hand, a large bubble of gusting wind formed around her, before it expanded outwards and engulfed two out of three, turning them into one large splatter of blood and bone. The one who escaped had casted a Fireball on her, with Fuyuko commanding her flock back with her mind, melting and shaping them into a shield for herself. Shield was unfazed and undamaged, and once the fire was gone, it had suddenly split itself into six parts, shaping into blades, with Fuyuko commanding them akin to a puppeteer commanding puppets. Her ice blades went ahead, slicing apart her escaped victim, before finding two more victims, cutting them literally to ribbons.

Engulfed in her symphony of death, Fuyuko was unable to see or sense the danger coming to her, as one three more Shinobi popped right from under her, capturing her and forcing her to cancel all her Ice Release Jutsu. Shinobi who held a kunai to her throat behind her spoke in a cocky way.

"Got you now, Ice Witch. Now you'll be putting this hot body to use for our boys and paying up for all you killed here." His friends held her hands apart, as he pressed his form into her, disgusting Fuyuko. "Maybe we should start with that compensation right now, once that demon and your brother are dead."

"You wish for my hot body, but all you'll get is cold death." A vicious smile crossed her face, as the Shinobi suddenly let go of her and started to cough and try to catch a breath. "None can touch me and breathe air around me, without my permission." The three Shinobi had turned pale blue, as air literally froze in their lungs and crystalized their hearts.

A sing flick of her fingers and their organs were crushed into little pieces, as Fuyuko stepped over them and walked towards her brother.

* * *

Haku hadn't wasted time, and as his sister was reaping her harvest of death, so was he hard in work. Though he had never shared his sister's thirst for blood in battles, or her aptitude for killing, he did develop enough of stomach and instinct to kill without hesitation and regret. Where his sister had learned to do it in an artistic sort of way, he did it clean and precise, adapting to the situation. Haku's prowess with Ice Release may've been enough to make him more dangerous than even Zabuza in his prime, but Fuyuko's potential was through the roof. He still needed to make hand signs to use his Jutsu, while his sister needed only to think and concentrate to create what she needed.

She was an artist of Ice Release, using it like a painter using brush and paints, whereas he was a writer using a pen. She brought her imagination to life with her Ice Release, while his was to the point and precise. Back then, five years ago when they just met Naruto, they were still reaching grasping for their full potential. They couldn't have been able to reach their heights of today if not for Naruto and his example, and now the results of their trainings and growth were about to show themselves to all.

Haku had swiftly reached his first opponent, carving the enemy up without trouble and then using his carcass to shield from incoming projectiles. Once done, Haku had pushed towards two incoming Shinobi, forcing them to stop their advance on him, while he suddenly melted down his sword and saw around fifteen Shinobi surrounding him. Konoha had been steadily bringing in more and more troops here, and he doubted that it was just for the show, or to find him and Fuyuko. They were probably planning a new invasion or an incursion into another land, probably Water or Spring, as he saw it.

Deciding not to waste any more time, his left arm quickly went through a set of signs, and suddenly blood from the surrounding fallen Shinobi and Samurai began to flow out of them. Body was mostly composed of water, with grown men having about 75% of their being composed of it, and Water Jutsu were based around manipulating moisture. As gross and atrocious it may've seen to others, practicality called Haku to adapt and use whatever means he had at the disposal. Many small red balls of floating blood formed around the surrounding him Shinobi, before they had shaped into icicles and flown towards his victims. Nine got struck, but six more were up in the air and sending their Jutsu at him. Haku had moved with all his speed to avoid them and was ready to counter them all, before he saw his sister's _Winter Blades_ reaping her harvest of those six fools. He turned to look at her with a bit of a displeased look, before speaking up.

"I had it under control." He simply stated with either irritation or anger

"I know." She confirmed, before she looked at what was happening with Sauron and the remaining Konoha Shinobi. "Want to help him?" Haku looked Sauron's way and shrugged his shoulders.

"Let him have his fun." He simply said, as he and his sister watched the fight before their eyes.

* * *

As Sauron landed, he finally took a good look at the Jonins of Konoha and founded it interesting to see all familiar faces here. Kakashi Hatake, his former Shinobi Team Leader, as arrogant and proud as Sauron remembers him, yet now cautious and scared of Sauron. He was right to be scared, as while Sauron was going to send a message to Konoha, he wasn't going to let such an opportunity escape him. Near him stood in full attention Maito Gai, Konoha's Green Beautiful Beast, or whatever he called himself, as well as self-proclaimed rival of Kakashi. Obnoxious, self-righteous and as arrogant as Kakashi and Sauron's eyes, and his memory had rekindled to Sauron memories of Gai's antics and attacks on him, as well as him spouting lies about him being a sloth. The man was going to pay just as all, along with all three of his grown up students.

Lee was a full on copy of his teacher, including the ugly style of hair and garments, along with the persona matching the man. Whatever its worth, Sauron couldn't help but hold respect for the man, as he had built himself much like he had, and achieved much without Chakra. Had things been different, Sauron would've liked to have him as a friend and a compatriot, but as an enemy, he will not be merciful to him. Neji stood as prideful and arrogant as he was back in Chuunin Exams, though rage now visible in his eyes. Clearly, the ignorant slave hadn't forgiven Sauron for the defeat he suffered at the hands of then Naruto Uzumaki, and now was even more infuriated at the fact that he couldn't even look with his Byakugan at Sauron. As for Tenten, Sauron had viewed her as a worthless waste of air and space, and a disgrace for a master of weapons that she proclaimed herself to be. Being a smith and craftsman equal to Valar of such things, it disgusted Sauron to see this girl strut herself like she had all mastered and capable of using every weapon, yet throwing it with such carelessness. She wasn't even all that precise, despite the claims of her superior aim, which when compared to even Men of Middle-Earth, was worth a wet shit and piss on top of it.

And finally he faced two more Jonins, the last ones, yet not the last in his list: Iruka Umino and Anko Mitarashi. The scarred former Academy Instructor didn't see all that different and there clearly was no indication of him gaining any power beyond what he had already. The man had obstructed Naruto's way in Academy, sabotaging and plain refusing teaching Naruto subjects he needed, and even then had tried to paint himself as a saint and a good teacher, when that idiot Mizuki had stolen Forbidden Scroll. Back then, Naruto had believed that the man had repented, and now Sauron saw that it was a lie and he was nothing more but a liar, who deserved to die.

As for Anko, Sauron hadn't forgotten how she eagerly tortured Naruto Uzumaki, reveled even in it and spared no expense at bringing him pain. While the memory of it all had brought him rage, Sauron had later, much later, had come to somewhat feel impressed at the methods of her torture, though it was nothing compared to his desire to punish her. And while her form was that of defiance and rebellion, as was with her attire, made to draw attention to her ample assets, Sauron's senses had caught a scent of foul and rotting in her. It took him but a second to realize that it was the Curse Mark of Orochimaru upon her, still lingering on her and poisoning her even inactive. He could feel Orochimaru's will and soul in it, even if it was just a piece of it. The woman didn't even know it, but her fate was long sealed with this Mark and Sauron had contemplated, either to kill her out of mercy, or to leave to suffer a gruesome and painful end.

Leaving his contemplations in the back of his mind, he stepped closer to them all, reveling in their defiance and sensing fear coming from them all. A bit of toying with them was a good idea in his mind.

"Let me guess: you all probably wondering how is it that I am back and more powerful than all you put together?" Sauron asked of them, as he examined them. "How come the demon is back and is so mighty? Shouldn't it be Naruto's real soul back and not Fox's? Why does he look older and like this? Could it be that Lord Fourth killed his son instead of the demon?" He literally read their minds, surprising them.

"What are you trying to do with us, you fiend? You can't shake our convictions and our youthful spirit!" Rock Lee shouted at Sauron, who simply smirked.

"Oh, Lee, I've already shook them, or otherwise you wouldn't be thinking about the injustices of others being granted Chakra instead of you." He could see shock in his eyes and fear. "Yes, I know what you truly feel and think, and you are right: none of them have the right to wield Chakra, when you are the only one who has the will and determination to progress. And yet you are seen as a failure and a joke, when amongst such legends as Kakashi and Third Hokage, monsters of chakra. I agree with you Lee, I truly do, and had you been granted Chakra, you would've long surpassed them." Sauron's voice became as smooth as silk and the word reached the young Shinobi's heart.

"Lee, don't listen to him! You are already more than a match to Lord Third and Kakashi, without Chakra and…" Gai tried to stop Sauron, but failed when Sauron spoke, and Lee heard only his voice.

"And yet, a minor medical failure, a joke of fate, and you are reduced to nothing when compared to them. Yes, you will never compare to them, even after you master every and all styles and techniques of Taijutsu. You will be seen only as a jester and a clown in the ridiculous suit and pitiful hair, all donned in a hope of standing in same league as your idol, but you never will, and may I tell you why?" Sauron continued. "Because unlike you, Gai has Chakra, and he knows how to use it and he uses it with no trouble. That is the key to his power and might, and all he teaches you and shows you, he may look like he is proud of you, but in reality… He is just toying with you."

"N-No…" Lee said in shock, as his form shook, denying what Sauron said, yet unable to shake off what told him.

"You are just a pet project for him, a distraction for fun and nothing more." Sauron saw how Lee shook in rage and knew he was close to needed effect. "A naïve fool, drawn in by the promise of glory and recognition, of respect and admiration from masses. A fool that had achieved everything that Teacher wanted of him, much to his boasting… and mocking behind your back."

"SHUT UP!" Lee's form had exploded in an aura of green, and he blasted off the place towards Sauron.

The enraged Shinobi was going to punish this demon, he was going to make him pay for all these words. He was no one's fool, no pet or a toy, he was Rock Lee, Konoha's Green Gallant Beast, and he was nothing but an unyouthful fiend. And he was going to send this bastard where he deserved to be.

"SEVERE LEAF HURRICANE!" Lee seemingly materialized right near Sauron's head, ready to smash it off his shoulders… only for Sauron's eyes be locked onto his own.

And in a single moment, the world froze for all, safe for Sauron and Lee. Lee watched, as his body was unmoved in the air, and Sauron's form moved towards his, before brought up his sword. Trying his most to get out of this strange trap, Lee was left only as a witness to his own death, as Sauron's sword easily went into his chest. A moment passed, and a dead body hit the ground, blood spilling onto the green and life disappearing from eyes of Rock Lee. Sauron's sword was plunged right into his heart, a clean death, painless, just as he wanted for him, in a rare instance of his mercy.

He gripped the handle preparing to withdraw it… before he was forced to bring up his armored gauntlets in front of his form to block Gai's fist. The power and strength behind the attack was enough to make Sauron take a step back and felt a slight ache in bones and muscles, until he dodge another punch, and another and one more, until Gai's fist was caught by Sauron and the two locked eyes.

"I'll fucking kill you for doing this to him!" Pure rage and fury were there when Gai said it, as his form was engulfed by pure red aura, as his hair also turned blood red, and he pushed Sauron off his feet and sent him flying with a single kick into the air.

"Neji, Tenten, you must leave Wave. Inform Hokage and Konoha, tell them that Naruto is back and that the demon is more powerful than before. No arguing, that is an order, now go!" Kakashi ordered them, and though reluctant, they've left. "Gai… He is going to kill himself, opening all Eight Gates…"

"Not if he kills the demon first, and if we help him." Anko said, ready to go, but stopped by Kakashi.

"It's too late, if we get caught up, we are dead from sheer force of Gai's attacks and fury." He simply explained to her.

Sauron's form was flung into the air, he was literally kicked right up there by Gai, whose power had suddenly grown to the point that he was near his equal! The sheer strength of that kick into his head had forced him to shed blood from his mouth, as well as shock him. He had no time contemplating, before Gai had suddenly appeared before his form and literally sent air to punch him. The sheer pressure was unreal, almost enough to crush Sauron, had he not summoned all of his Chakra to reinforce his form and protect himself.

But then he was in a world of pain, as more pillars of sheer air, compressed into weapons, were striking at him. Two, three, four, five, each one adding more and more pressure, crushing Sauron's form until it was a single small ball of meat, steel, blood and bone. It took _every _ounce of his will and power just to maintain his shield of Sekai Chakra, and he was running out of time and thoughts about escaping, when he suddenly spotted Gai literally kicking air behind him and aiming for him. Gritting his teeth, he summoned all his might to escape the trap, and right when Gai's form came for him…

All of city and Wave quaked, when Gai's punch reached his target and he reached ground punching it so hard, that a crater formed beneath him. A dust cloud rose and it took a few seconds until it settled down, with three Jonin looking at the crater and wondering if their companion had succeeded. Iruka was the first to speak up.

"Did he… Did he kill him?" he asked aloud, and heard the answer the next second.

"Almost." Sauron's voice was enough to turn all three of them pale, as they looked towards him.

He stood over Lee's body, his hands meddling with the wrecked breastplate and discarding it, along with the broken shoulder guards and feet plates. Blood seeped out of the wounds on his head, yet the cuts were already healing and blood disintegrating, as Sauron's chakra and Sekai Chakra intermixed, restoring his form to its prime. Had he not been careful and prepared for a possibility such as this, he would've died there, and he couldn't be more impressed and grateful to the sturdiness and quality of Uzumaki armor.

Even when his shield was failing, the armor protected his vital organs and most of his body, with only smaller fractures and torn muscles coming from that attack. He felt bad for seeing it so wrecked up, but he was grateful to its creators, for it saved his life. They, and Second Hokage's Hiraishin, whose seal was placed upon the hilt of his sword, had protected him today. More than once was he grateful to Mito Uzumaki cataloguing all her knowledge, both Uzumaki and not.

Letting out a sigh, he sensed that Gai was still alive, and just then he leapt out of the crater and once again launched his bloodied form towards him. This time, the Jonin wasn't going to get his chance, and if he wanted to destroy Sauron through sheer brute force, then he'll have to first match Sauron _at his fullest power_! With all his will, pain and rage combined, he drew into himself all Sekai Chakra he could, flooding his form and being with power, enough for him to feel even a glimpse of _what _he once was. The feeling of might, of higher being, it was almost intoxicating, as ever cell and fiber in his body was filled with rawest of powers, purest energy. Sauron's body became engulfed in a flaming aura, his eyes became literal fire, and even his form grew in immensity, reaching the same height and mass as he was when he was Lord of Middle-Earth.

He once more felt like Maiar!

Blinded by loss and grief, Gai roared as he launched himself at Naruto, intending to destroy him, even if it meant dying himself, but for Lee, for avenging him and proving Naruto wrong, it was worth it. His fist was finally nearing his target and he was prepared to savor the taste of final victory… When suddenly his fist was caught by a larger hand, and smashed it without trouble. Rage and grief left his eyes and Gai finally saw his doom, literally standing over him and holding him in place without any trouble. And at the single glance at him, Maito Gai, for the first time in his life, felt purest and absolute fear.

"**Fool, did you really think you could destroy me? That I would let me your kind to kill me again, when I **_**was **_**Naruto Uzumaki?"**Sauron asked of him, as he raised his fist and smashed it into Gai's chest.

The strength of that punch was enough to shatter every rib in Gai's chest, and the splinters pierced ever his lungs. In a single second, Gai spit all so much blood that it was enough for a small puddle, and his Eight Gates Form had been canceled, as he dropped to his knees, weak and powerless, dying already. But he was not to die from his wounds, no. Sauron's will and mind had went on to manipulate the very matter of the earth underneath him, and as a shape from his mind took form, it rose from the ground.

A large, six flanged mace, dark and black as the Mount Doom in which it was once forged, had appeared from the ground, reborn and reforged by the sheer will and might of Sauron. He grasped its handle once more, a mountainous wave of memories and feelings reaching his mind, as he let out the monster he became. With a roar, he brought up his weapon and slammed it into the ground, smashing Might Gai into what couldn't be called either a puddle or a heap of human flesh and bones.

With a single swing, he swept off of it the bits of flesh and bones, moving towards the last three Jonins. Iruka's will had been broken, as was the first one to turn tail and run towards the bridge. The fool had not a chance, as Sauron materialized right in front of him, grabbing him by the throat. The man was unable to withstand the heat of Sauron even for a second, and without even screaming, his form was reduced into a burning and charred piece of meat, before it was disintegrated, much like Gil-Galad had done in last battle of Second Era.

Anko too had tried to escape, but she was bound by the ice, produced by Fuyuko, as she and Haku nodded to him. He was going to save her for the last, as he moved to Kakashi Hatake, frozen in place and unable to move, as Sauron commanded the earth to encase Jonin's limbs and hold him in place. Former student of Fourth Hokage wasn't able to react, overwhelmed by sheer might and presence of Sauron, as he finally gave up and fallen, losing both in mind and spirit. Sauron came over to him, his mace in hand and readied for the deed.

"Naruto, please… I am sorry, I…" Kakashi had spoken, trying to plead for mercy, but was unable to finish.

"**Naruto Uzumaki died five your years ago, Hatake. I am Sauron, Lord of Sekai and the End of Shinobi." **He brought up his mace over Hatake's head. **"And this is the end of your era." **With his final piece said, mostly to those surviving two Konoha Shinobi that still watched the battle, Sauron brought down his mace upon Kakashi.

The moment he had destroyed Kakashi Hatake's head, Sauron felt incredible relief and weakness, as his form diminished and returned to the one granted to him by Eru. His form was incredibly powerful and mighty, yet the strain and sheer stress in maintaining it was far too much for his mortal form. He may've had the soul and spirit of Maiar, but without the body that could handle all that power, Sauron ran a risk of literally exploding from the overload of power, and even this was not even his _fullest_ potential, only a sip of it.

Taking a few moments to catch his breath and let Sekai's energy replenish his depleted power and restore his health, Sauron used his mace to rise up, with Haku coming up to help him up.

"Thank you." Sauron breathed out, as he had once more regained his bearings and strength, looking at the results of the battle. "It's almost over."

"Yeah, it is. Just the snake whore left and an army of Samurai, guarding the Daimyo." Haku said to him, with Sauron looking at him, before nodding. "So, gonna explain what this form was?"

"A glimpse of my truest power, when I was a Maiar. Such a power even for one of my kind, or rather, former kind, is hard to reach, but here, in Sekai… I think I now understand why Eru fears that Shinobi will destroy this world." Sauron stated him, grabbing a hold of his mace and placing it on the shoulder, as he and Haku walked to Anko, kept still by frost. "Anko Mitarashi… I have many, _many _ideas about how to make you pay for what you had done, and I bet you had taken quite a liking to lynching people here, right?"

"Women, children, elderly and young- over two dozen had went to her, and only six returned. The dead were envied by those that saw the living." Fuyuko said, with fear clear in Anko's eyes. "I can do many things with her, things even she fears, but right now, she fears you more than anything."

"And she should." Sauron added.

"N-Naruto, l-look I know wh-what I did was bad, but you gotta u-understand…" Anko had stammered, not out of cold, but out of fear.

"That you were following orders? That it was the only way to make people see as not a snake whore, but a loyal Shinobi? That you hated every moment you put someone similar to you through an absolute hell? Naruto Uzumaki would've been interested in hearing your excuses, but as Sauron, I've long stopped caring about those." Fallen Maiar simply said to her, as Anko's eyes watered in despair, while he placed his mace in both his hands. "So, shall I smash her head with this, or burn her alive, what do you two think?"

"Smiting is too simple, and boring." Fuyuko said to Sauron. "I can make her blood slowly turn into ice, let her experience how she slowly becomes an icicle, yet unable to die."

"Hm, creative. Haku?" Sauron ignored the paled look of Anko and tears.

"Um… Same, only then have it unfreeze and boil, right inside of her?" Haku offered to Sauron. "Or have her boil in that oil over there. Why waste the effort put into it?"

"A bit standard, but still, I do have a soft spot such classics…"

"Stop! Please, N-Sauron, I beg you! I'll do anything for you, I'll prostrate myself before you! I'll become your whore and bitch, j-just please let me live!" Anko broke down in tears, with Fuyuko frowning at her visage.

"Pitiful bitch, ready to betray anything and everything just to safe her skin. Can I just freeze and crush her?" Fuyuko asked of Sauron, who suddenly stopped her.

"Wait, now that sounds interesting." Sauron surprised all three of them, as he leaned in to Anko. "So, you are ready to abandon Leaf, to turn your back on your friends and comrades, on everything that you had and serve me, with all your being and soul?"

"Sauron, you are not seriously…" Haku couldn't believe that he was actually considering this.

"YES! Yes I will! I pledge myself to you, Sauron! Do anything you want with me! I serve you now and you only, my soul, body and everything with it, I swear it!" Anko shouted in desperation and need to live, as she didn't want to die.

And it was all that Sauron needed to hear, as he melted the ice from Anko, letting her fall down on her knees. When she looked up, the smile he gave her somehow had been enough to calm her and even lift up a bit her spirit, until he spoke.

"Good, because I plan to do something with you, Anko. Something that'll make you mine for sure." Without any more warning, he placed his hand upon Curse Mark under her coat, and did what he planned for her.

Both Haku and Fuyuko had to step away from Sauron, as they've felt how he pulled around himself incredible amounts of Sekai Chakra, before he pushed it into Anko, forcing her to scream, until he silenced her by disabling her vocal cords. Sauron required absolute and complete concentration, if he was to succeed in his plan, however twisted and atrocious it may seem from the third person's view, but as he stood, this was actually the best he could think of in his current situation. He needed loyal, powerful and capable companions and allies if he was to succeed, and wars always required resources for a battle, with human resources being the most prominent.

Back in Arda, he had countless Orks, Trolls, Uruks and more at his disposal, but here he could get them, nor was he interested in creating and breeding them again. No, the experience proves to Sauron that while umbers matter, quality of troops matters just as much, and he was going to place his bet on quality over quantity. He already witnessed how Haku and Fuyuko, two near S-rank Shinobi, were able to demolish entire squads of Konoha Shinobi, Chuunin and Special Jonins in them. In this world, rules of combat were different and he needed to adjust to them, if he was to win against an entire world.

For that reason, he decided to spare Anko, but not without making adjustments to her and making sure that she wasn't dragging him down. Orochimaru's gift, Curse Mark, was slowly killing her and she was going to die from this faulty thing, and it already was affecting her power and might, so he was going to change that. Along with that, he was going to make some additional changes to her body, similar to what Kyuubi had done to his, as ironic as it was, and Sauron was not going to seek an excuse for his action. He needed a powerful servant, and he was going to get one in what Anko was going to become.

Haku and Fuyuko, as well as most of Wave watched as Sauron had begun to change Anko Mitarashi into a completely new and different being. Her frame began to grow in height and shape, as her limbs and torso lengthened, figure gaining new proportions, yet remaining human-like. For a few seconds, they saw how golden scales had adorned her limps and parts of her face, before disappearing, replaced with a fair skin. Black eyes changed into purple ones, with slits akin to snakes, before shaping back into that of human. Hair from dark purple began to change into that of brighter tone of purple, becoming closer to pink, yet not enough for it to be called that, with length of hair reaching to ankles.

Once Sauron was done, he let go of the woman, and stepped back from her, letting her open her eyes and stand up. Before him and everyone else stood a completely different and new being, one that had no crudeness and impropriety of Anko. This woman was akin to a goddess, exuding elegance, grace and an aura of both beauty and deadliness. She stood taller than Fuyuko and Haku, reaching Naruto's height, with her head bowing before him, before she spoke in a calm, composed and even melodic voice.

"Milord, what shall be your command?" She spoke.

"Okay… What did you do?" Haku asked in both fright and amazement.

"Changed her being and nature, a task most hard, I assure you, though one I must admit I've completed excellently." Sauron sounded just as surprised, as he was impressed with himself. "Went even better than I had expected, far better than with my first Werewolves and definitely better than with Dwarves. Anko was a few months away from either dying or succumbing to her faulty Curse Mark, and she was already weaker than needed, so instead killing her, I've used what Orochimaru had left of his being in her, altered it up, strengthened her muscles, bones… In more trivial terms, I've remade Anko Mitarashi from a crude and cruel tool of Konoha into an elegant and powerful being you see before you."

"She is stronger, and I sense something of a snake in her. She isn't human, but not snake." Fuyuko stated. "Old legends of my country called them Naga, but she doesn't have a tail. What is she then?"

"Yes, that is worth something deciding upon right now." Sauron agreed with Fuyuko, before motioning his new servant to raise her head. "Tell me, what would you call yourself? What name sounds most to your liking?"

"Name? I… I do not know, Master. You are my creator, what name would have me bear?" She asked of him, with Sauron tapping his chin for a second, before speaking up again.

"I've had known a Maiar once, she was a good friend to me and taught me much in the ways of life, and you could say you owe her your existence now. One of her names was Medusa Gorgon, does that sound well for you?" Sauron saw a smile upon her face and knew she accepted the name.

"Yes, thank you, Master." She bowed her head again, before raising it again. "Master, what is your bidding?"

"To finish the liberation of Wave." Sauron simply stated to her.

* * *

**Half an hour later. Daimyo's residence.**

The remaining liberation was nothing more but a simple and quick mop up of the last Samurai and whatever Shinobi that had not fled away from Wave. Fortunately all had been gathered at the residence of the usurper of Wave, Fire Daimyo's younger brother. The battle to break through his defense was hardly a challenge to the four beings of power that they were. At least it showed what newly born Medusa was capable of, and her prowess was most certainly one to admire and behold, as she moved swiftly, with fluidity and light of foot that even Sauron was impressed. Having taken crucial part in creation of Dwarves and having created Uruks and Werewolves, he had an experience of creating a new life, and Medusa was his best creation, though her initial demeanor didn't state that.

The slaughter was swift, and once a quick search was over, the four stood before an obese and cowering form of a man that was Wave Daimyo. He dared not to look up at the people that had brought down his so-called mighty empire in a single day.

"Pl-Please, I-I'll give you e-everything you want! W-Women, s-slaves, m-money, e-everything a-and…" Just as expected, he pleaded for his life, before he was interrupted by Sauron.

"Can you bring back all that you've ordered killed? Every child, woman and man- can you restore them to life?" He simply asked of him, with the man looking up to him with an absolutely frightened look, which was enough of an answer. "No, you can't, and aside from that, there is only one thing that you are good for." He grabbed the man by his hair and began to drag him out of the residence.

Right outside stood all the people of Wave, waiting for the return of Sauron and his companions. And as he returned, he literally tossed the usurper into the arms of Wave's people. As he did so, he spoke up to them.

"People of Wave! Much of blood was shed by you, many lives were lost at the hands of Shinobi and Samurai, and I can't give them back to you. All I can give you is vengeance and retribution." He pointed at the shaking man, firmly captured by men of Wave. "This slime of a man is a brother to the Fire Daimyo, a man that ordered your ruler's death and tried to conquer your land. He has commanded Konoha's Shinobi and Samurai to slaughter and kill your kin and brethren, and though most of them lie dead today, he is the one on whose will all the murders were committed. I give him to you and leave you to judge him as you see fit!" The crowd erupted in cheers, as the man was quickly dragged out of view, his fate to be decided later.

Tsunami and Inari stepped forward from the people, with the woman in tears speaking to him.

"Th-thank you, Naruto…" Her voice breaking at her speaking. "We couldn't even hope… Did Kami really send you back to us?"

"He did, and I fear I no longer can claim to be Naruto, I was once him." Sauron spoke cryptically, before addressing all of Wave. "I know what courses through your minds, and let me reveal you the truths. To you, I was gone for 5 years, but to me, eons had passed, as I was reborn as a new being, a being of power and wisdom. I do not claim I was always an angel I was supposed to be, for I was a demon and still is one, for crimes I had committed in world I was before are too numerous to count."

"B-But you are here, and if Kami sent you, then you are here for a good thing, right?" Inari asked of him. "Kami couldn't have sent you here for a bad thing. You were sent here to save us all from Konoha!" Many people cheered at what Inari said.

"Yes, he did send me with a mission, but it is not just you I must save, but all of world from a catastrophe." Sauron stated with sincerity. "You all have witnessed it already, the terror of Shinobi World, and this is not even the worst of it yet. What I had done today was not just your salvation, but also a declaration of war! Not just to Konoha and its people, but to the world as it is, a corrupt and rotten world that allows such crimes to happen! Today, I have taken the first step in ending the Era of Shinobi, and Shinobi of Konoha I fear will soon respond. They will be back, and back soon. I fear that with things as they are, we don't stand a chance to win, and you all will be killed, as vengeance for what I did."

"But you are so powerful. Can't you defeat them all by yourself?" Inari asked of Sauron, and he shook his head.

"No, but I won't be alone, already not." Sauron showed his friends near him. "But, if I am to win the war, if I am to save you, I must ask you the most difficult: I ask you all to leave Land of Waves, take to the ships and sail for Land of Spring. I know that this sounds as cowardice and treachery, but Wave and you are far too close to Fire Country and Konoha, and even we can't defeat them in a prolonged engagement. They'll come in force, the very best and deadliest with them, and you will be the first to fall, not because of me abandoning you, but because I will simply not have enough strength to save you all. And I swore to save you all, and for that, I ask you to save yourself. Cede Wave and leave it to be taken, but remain with lives and families."

Sauron's words reached them all, and understanding came to the people of Wave, however bad and bitter it was to accept it all. Yet, after all that they had witness and went through… The people weren't ready to suffer any more and had come to accept the reality of the situation. Tsunami turned to Sauron and spoke more.

"But even if we leave Wave, what is to stop Konoha from pursuing us, and Fire Daimyo will give chase with his fleet too. How can we hope to escape them?" She asked of them.

"You will have plenty of time. I will buy it for you." Sauron stated to them without either boast or arrogance, but with pure determination and will. "Before I even began the battle, I've sent my clones into the Land of Bears, to demolish the fleet of Fire Country, and just an hour ago I've received the feedback from them: the fleet now serves as home to fish and crabs at the bottom of the Bears' Bay! And as for Konoha, they will expect me to wait for them here, but I won't sit and wait. I shall venture to Konoha and Fire Country, draw their ire and rage upon me and make them regret ever setting foot here. Don't fret and fear for me, I shall not fall to them this time and I will soon rejoin you in Spring Country. Haku and Fuyuko will accompany you for protection, while Medusa and I will bleed Konoha." Sauron promised them with fire and passion, inspiring and invigorating people of Wave.

"They shall learn to humility with fire. They will learn fear with steel. They will know what terror and despair is! They shall tremble and shake at the mere mention of my name! They shall know the name that will burn away their rot and blight! They will know that I am Sauron, and I am the True Lord of Sekai and the End of Shinobi!" The roar of fallen Maiar had reached far and wide, with more than just people of Wave hearing it and many trembling at the sound of it.

In that day, fate had changed and very nature of reality shifted.

The End of an Era had begun.

* * *

**Hope you all will enjoy the soon update I promised you, because until next week, I'll be focusing on finishing up my Harry Potter story, which is about time I did so. Anyway, going into a bit of detail here for your understanding, though feel free to ask questions later.**

**Sauron VS. Gai. I remember Gai battling Madara and just how much power Gai has with all Eight Gates opened up. He bloody wrecked Madara, who was in his Six Sage state of being, but here is what I also saw there. Madara seemed not taking the fight as seriously as one such as him should've, he was far more interested in seeing what Gai could do, to feel the flow of battle and enjoy it while it lasted, so he wasn't as focused on simply winning it. If he was, he would've won without trouble, in my mind. As for Gai, he also had help from Minato, Kakashi and Lee, to get an opening agaisnt Madara. **

**As for Sauron, while he was wrecked up by Gai, let's not forget that he was capable of drawing Nature Chakra and wield it without much trouble. Along with that, did you really think he wouldn't have had a plan if things went south? He had all of Naruto Uzumaki memories of this world, so he remembered how to make Hiraishin and prepared one. And as for Maiar Mode, as I call it, he had been the strongest Maiar in history, and you may take the body of Maiar away, but not his spirit and knowledge. Still it's a risky move for him to use this mode so bear in mind. Also, I did say he was going to be OP, and this is what I meant.**

**Anko being made into Medusa is something I came up with while trying to justify why Sauron would want to keep her alive. She had tortured him and many others in Wave, people he cares about, so he couldn't let this one slide, but at the same time he needs powerful warriors on his side. So, after remembering that Sauron had created Werewolves, not originally, but as a race from the first one. And so, I've come up with this, a complete transformation of Anko into Medusa Gorgon, looks from Medusa from Fate Stay Night. She is far more powerful than Anko, has a ton more chakra, abilities and hidden talents and quite a few tricks, and she is loyal to a death to Sauron. Plus, wouldn't real Sauron make one such servant that would be completely loyal and… Wait, he did! Nazguls, remember!**

**Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter and will leave a review, suggestion, question and more, I'll answer it all.**

**Also, today is the Christmas for Orthodox Christians, and as one such Christian I wish to all fellow Christians a happy Christmas and all good things to you in life.**

**Next time: Konoha is in uproar; Homecoming; An unexpected ally.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Konoha. Council Chambers.**

Less than half a day had passed since the Wave Country had been liberated and its people once more had restored their freedom and independence. The invaders had met the most gruesome end, with the one who commanded them was lynched by the very people he had oppressed out of joy, and his fate was so that none could envy him. The news of this event, of this unheard of miracle had swept through the Fire Country faster than a forest fire, and by the end of the day all had known about the humiliation and shame of Konoha, who had lost over 80 Shinobi in Wave. While most of those Shinobi weren't the best amongst their ranks, but they were most certainly not the worst, and they were commanded by two most experienced Jonins.

No one had expected any sort of trouble, not when a hundred Shinobi were there, commanded by experienced and respected Jonins. Konoha and Fire Daimyo had thought the very notion of a rebellion or even a revolt there to be impossible, much less believed it to be a success. After all, what could civilians do agaisnt Shinobi, and even with the Ice Twins on their side. there was just no hope for Wave to once more be ruled by its own people. The fate of Wave seemed predetermined.

And yet that fate was shattered, when the most unexpected and possibly the worst possible thing had happened for Konoha: Naruto Uzumaki, the Demon that had nearly killed Minato Namikaze, has returned right from Hell and demolished Konoha's and Fire Daimyo's forces. The thought of such an event occurring would've seen as madness, if not for the fact that two Jonins from wave, Tenten and Neji Hyuuga, had reported it to the Council, Heads of Clans and Hokage himself. They spared no expense at the details and answered every question asked and demanded of them. The answers heard were, to put it lightly, distressing.

Minato Namikaze, reinstated as Fourth Hokage and revered by all of Konoha and many more as the messiah and God of Shinobi, had suppress a shiver and panic inside of him. He hadn't forgotten just how close he came to death thanks to Naruto, nor had he forgotten that if not for Orochimaru, he wouldn't be here. And he most certainly didn't forget about the fact that Naruto was not a demon that he claimed he was, but his very own son.

A lie made for the greater good of Konoha, and one that had served to him and his family for all those years, and it could all come crushing down if Naruto were to make his way to Konoha and unveil the truth about himself and his siblings, Mito and Menma. And not only that, but there was also the fact that Naruto was not just powerful, but extremely so, skilled and capable of using chakra on a level that was beyond even him and everyone else. And he was agaisnt Konoha and firmly wanted it to burn and be destroyed, all because of the sacrifices he and Kushina had made for their goals. Minato understood, that while Naruto had every right to be angry at him, he needed to be put down for the good of Konoha and Shinobi World, which he proclaimed to destroy.

Kushina and her children sat at the Shinobi table, with all three having different thoughts on the matter. Kushina's mind and conciseness was not gripped by the shame or regret over what she had done to her firstborn. No, she believed firmly in the plan and didn't even bat an eye when she handed her deformed and demonic spawn to Konoha to be used as a bait agaisnt their enemies, nor did she shed tears when he was tortured and executed by Minato. Kushina simply held no love for Naruto, not since the moment he came out of her womb looking like Kyuubi in human form. She knew from a single look at him that he was a demonic spawn of Kyuubi's design, a wretched and deformed being created to spite her and to eventually destroy her. She was glad that it was dead, and now that it was back, Kushina couldn't help but be more affirmed in her belief of Naruto's demonic origin and think of the way to destroy it again.

Mito and Menma were too shocked at the fact of Naruto being back, but where fear gripped their father and shock took hold of their mother, the twins felt excitement at the prospect to fight him. They held Naruto in contempt and thought him as a trash, having been raised in firm belief of their divinity and power, not to mention having been handed everything to them on a silver plate from the start. The only thing that was beyond them at the time was power of Kyuubi, but even that was granted to them when Naruto had finally bit the dust and the Soul of Kyuubi was split between the two of them. After that they've finally showed all of the world that they truly were unstoppable heroes of Konoha and future conquerors of the world. With the full might of Kyuubi at their disposal, they thought that nothing could stand in their way, and they saw Naruto as another future proof of their invincibility. They were long itching for a fight that would further prove their rights and bragging.

The rest of the Council was divided in their opinions about Naruto, now claiming himself as True Lord of Sekai and styling himself as Sauron, whatever the name meant. The Civilians saw the demon's return as a fluke of fate and believed him to simply be lucky in his earlier victory, foolishly and blindly believing in the inevitable victory of Konoha over him. The Heads of the Houses were also divided in their thoughts about Naruto, with more logical and cool-headed ones, like Shukaku Nara, Hiruzen Sarutobi and Shibi Aburame, believing that Konoha must be cautious in dealing with Naruto. Those on the prideful and hot-blooded side of the matter, like Hiashi Hyuuga, Sasuke Uchiha and Tsume Inuzuka, thought little of it and didn't consider Sauron as that much of a threat, with the two Advisors, Jiraiya and Tsunade agreeing with them.

Danzo and Orochimaru, on the other hand, were not just shocked, but also terrifyingly interested in finding out how Naruto had cheated death and returned stronger than ever. His skills with the arms, ability to use chakra like it was nothing, not to mention the power to draw Nature Chakra into him and even what he did with Anko… The two scheming manipulators both had already began to draw up plans on how to capture and turn Naruto into their own individual weapons. For Danzo, Naruto was to become a way for him to achieve ultimate power and gain the most powerful Shinobi in the world under his thumb, and clear the way for his accession to the post of Hokage. As for Orochimaru, his interest was as always in Jutsu and power of Naruto, not to mention his body which the snake wished to wear as his new skin.

If only all of these fools had understood just how badly they underestimated the threat…

"If that is all, you may go home now. Not a word about what you saw to anyone, not until we've officially announced it to the people. Dismissed." Minato had allowed Tenten and Neji to leave, and as they had left the place, he spoke once more. "This… Fire Daimyo will not be pleased, especially when hears of the fact of his brother being killed. That's not to mention the loss of 87 Shinobi, in a single battle and with only two coming back, while the rest scattered and deserted out of sheer fear. We need to ready an appropriate response immediately."

"There is only one way we can respond to this insult! We must send our forces back to Wave and punish those ungrateful swines for their revolt, and we should bring those twin criminals in chain, alongside with their demonic friend!" Called out one of the Civilian Councilors, with the rest of his colleagues supporting him. "Let's send Lord Uchiha as the leader of that army and he'll deliver those monsters to us with no problem." Sasuke grinned in a prideful manner at the words he and the rest had heard.

"In case you all haven't heard it right, Naruto had just destroyed over 80 our Shinobi, having also killed Kakashi and Gai in the process, and if what Neji and Tenten told us, he is completely immune to Sharingan and Byakugan." Shukaku reminded everyone. "We need to thread carefully and come up with a sound strategy to beat something like that. Not only that, we need to find out how he even returned and if he can come back the same way again, if we kill him."

"If? Do you really think that we'll fail in taking that demon down, Nara?" Hiashi spitefully asked of him. "His return is nothing more than a ploy by our enemies, someone who had surgically altered one of their Shinobi to make him seem like Naruto Uzumaki. A pitiful plot to spread fear amongst our ranks."

"And how many of our enemies do you know that are capable of doing what he did, Hiashi?" Choza Akimichi asked of him. "The way he used chakra and even made that whore Anko into a monster… I haven't heard of such things since the times Uzumaki were around." A shudder had spread amongst the people, including Kushina, at the mention of now bygone nation.

Though long destroyed by the will of God, or as their last resort of taking as many enemies as possible, the name of Uzumaki people still carried a great deal of fear and might to others. Foolishly thought at first as backwater and isolated clan, they turned out to be the most advance in technology and understanding of chakra Nation, whose might was more than enough to conquer the world. Its people were capable of using Chakra on a level that was unheard of, without any hand signs or something like that, not to mention the fact that it's people were even capable of drawing Nature's Chakra, something thought impossible for all save for Sages.

Then there was the technological superiority of Uzumaki, something that made all other Five Nations seem like obsolete and antiquated relics of the past. Until the end of the Third Shinobi War, which ended with the Sundering of Uzumaki, no other nation knew anything about electricity, steam engines, industries and much, much more. Its ordinary people lived like Daimyos in comparison to other nations, enjoying things that people of Konoha once thought to be impossible. It was only after the Sundering did Nations finally manage to reverse some of the Uzumaki technologies, like engines and electricity, but even that was like shoddy pale imitations when compared to Uzumaki technologies.

Along with the riches, knowledge and technologies, Uzumaki possessed also the strongest army in the world at the time, comprised of the plate wearing army, armed with all manners of weapons of highest quality, and capable of easily crushing anything in its path. The Samurai of Daimyos seemed like poorly trained militias when compared to them, and it was proven to be true, when the Five Nations had invaded and struck Uzumaki. And even though it seemed like Uzumaki in reality didn't even need Shinobi, they still maintained a sizable force of those, lesser in numbers than those of other nations. Yet where the numbers were on the side of other Nations, Uzumaki possessed skills, abilities, knowledge, training and equipment generations beyond that of Konoha, the most advance and powerful Shinobi Village at the time. The Sealing Arts alone were so widespread and accessible to Uzumaki, that they were employed by even simple warriors of Uzumaki in their armor and weapons, evening the chances against even powerful Shinobi, and by Shinobi, who used them to such devastating effect that it was thought that very gods fought among Uzumaki.

Under any normal circumstances, an attack on Uzumaki continent, even by all Five Nations and their Shinobi would've been a suicide. Smaller scale invasions had often taken place before Shinobi Villages were in place, and all ended up in catastrophe, with more than a dozen Daimyos of various countries losing lives in their foolish endeavors, not to mention over 20 different Shinobi Clans being eradicated as well. However, the Nations had used the fact of Uzumaki nation being in turmoil and gripped by a civil war between two brothers for the throne of the Nation to launch the invasion. This was the way of Daimyos to finally put an end to the costly war of their Shinobi, and to claim what they saw as rightfully their riches and technologies, not to mention all those secrets about Chakra.

They had even went so far as to forge a secret pact with Kushina's father Kalgar Taihou, one of the two pretenders to the Uzu throne, to gain support on the continent. He of course knew nothing about the true intentions of the Daimyos, and so had allowed to land their massive armies of Samurai and Shinobi on the continent. The Daimyos and Kage had expected a quick and easy victory, but it was anything but easy and quick, as loyalist Uzumaki fought like demons and used everything they had to their advantage. Against a combined forces of 400 thousand Samurai, 35 thousand Shinobi and aided by Shingen's 45 thousand Uzumaki warriors, loyalist Uzumaki, led by the true Heir to the Throne Tirion, fielded a force of 60 thousand warriors and 7 thousand Shinobi, aided by a thousand Mages, most attuned and powerful in Chakra warriors. For two months Tirion had held the line agaisnt his enemies, though slowly giving ground, but not without making invaders and traitors pay for it.

With losses reaching over 300 thousand souls in the battles and losing nearly all of their Uzumaki supporters, the invaders had managed to corner the remaining Uzumaki forces and prepared finish this bloody business. But they were unable, as the Continent had suddenly became engulfed in a enormous Chakra wave that spread throughout all of Continent and literally vaporized all living souls it came in contact. Less than 60 thousand had managed to escape that nightmare, one fifth of them being Shinobi of all nations, and ever since then the Uzumaki nation had been reduced to scattered few survivors, less than a clan. The continent itself remained intact, yet lost to all who tried to reach it, as nothing ever returns from it, no matter how strong or in what many numbers it goes there.

All of Shinobi here, safe for a few, were participants of the invasion, and the memory of it still haunted them, especially Kushina who still was unable to come to terms of her birthplace being destroyed and nation annihilated. She knew that what she was doing was treason agaisnt her people, but she believed that she and her father were worthy of the throne and it was supposed to be theirs no matter what. She knew that Uzumaki would pay a bloody price for her ambitions, but she didn't expect her entire nation being destroyed completely.

"It is possible that some of the Uzumaki Shinobi, possibly even a Mage, had escaped the Sundering." Kushina spoke up after a short silence. "And yet… I remember hearing many theories while I was at home that it was possible for a powerful enough entity that had perished to return back. Kyuubi had been killed before and always came back, and it is possible that even now he cheated death, despite my husband's and mine work." Kushina still pushed forward the lie of Naruto and Kyuubi being one and the same.

"Yes, we all heard that, but shouldn't Kyuubi have taken far longer to regenerate its power before returning back to life?" Koharu asked the important question.

"It is possible that the soul had simply escaped from the body after it was struck and was able to regain its power quicker because it's soul was intact and in this world." Danzo suggested, silently relishing in the fact that he casted a shadow of doubt in Minato's and Kushina's abilities.

"That is impossible." Kushina immediately stated without delay. "Anyway, we must take action immediately, or our enemies will use this opportunity and strike at us."

"And they'll be destroyed, if they ever decided to be as foolish as to attack us, while I and my brother are here." Mito arrogantly stated, with Menma agreeing to it. "With our powers, we can easily smash any opposition that tries to attack Konoha, and even that demon is no match to us. Just send me or Menma, and we'll deal with Naruto, Kyuubi, or whatever he calls himself now. After that we can remind the world why they should fear us, just like we did with Suna."

"Hatake may've failed, but he was a weakling and a fool who couldn't handle the true power of Uchihas. Only the pureblooded Uchiha can fully utilize Sharingan, and with it I'll easily crush that dobe once and for all. Send me now and I'll bring you its head." Sasuke practically demanded, with Civilians agreeing to it, along with some Shinobi.

"No need to be so rash, especially when our enemy most clearly wants to come here, right back home to reap vengeance." Orochimaru chuckled, drawing attention of everyone. "It is clear that the demon will want revenge, not to mention to reclaim its lost power, so it will sooner or later come to Konoha. All that is needed is to sit tight and wait for it to come, and when he comes…"

"Then Minato and the kids will show that idiotic demon who…" Jiraiya had wanted to boast, when suddenly the doors into the chambers slammed open and through them stumbled a person.

It was clearly an Anbu, but he looked like he had just gone through hell and back, as he was badly injured and his armor was in tatters. He barely moved from place to place, dripping blood from many wounds on his body. His right hand was on his waist, covering a large open wound, while his left held a scroll. Before anyone could even help him, he stumbled and fell down, blood spilling from his guts and injuries. Tsunade immediately went towards him, along with Kurenai and Anbu Commander, examining the person.

"It's Hawk, one of the sub-commanders of Anbu, if I'm not mistaken." Kurenai spoke, recalling from her short period of serving in Anbu. "He was my senior during the two years I served, and I always thought he was equal to that of Kakashi… Who could've done it?"

"Tsunade, what can you tell us?" Minato demanded, with Tsunade shaking her head.

"He is dead, lost too much blood and had far too much internal injuries, along with external." She stated as a medic. "The manner of the injuries… They were made by not just a sword, but by a weapon of Uzumaki origin, that I can tell you without any doubt."

"Hawk was leading a team of 15 Anbu operatives on a mission to Water Country, bound to return today. I personally handpicked all those operatives. They were amongst the very best in both infiltration and in combat…" Anbu Commander reported to them all, before taking the scroll and unveiling it.

The moment he did so, a special seal was activated in it and from the scroll spilled out heads of over 30 Konoha Shinobi. All of the Council looked shocked at the image before them, as those were all Anbu Shinobi, the very best that Konoha had to field against their enemies. To see all those masked heads, with blood still seeping out of them was not a sight all that pleasant, as many of the Civilian Councilors and some Shinobi had to keep their lunches. Kurenai took the scroll and began to read its contents.

"Lord Hokage… These were the Anbu who oversaw the dockyards in Bear Country, where the main fleet of Fire was based at the moment. According to this… Naruto had attacked the docks and shipyards with a force of 15 copies of himself and completely demolished the facilities and forces guarding the place." Kurenai, much like many, had paled at what she read out. "If this is true, then…"

"Then our entire invasion plan for Water Country is in ruins, with over a thousand Samurai and a hundred more of our Shinobi dead!" Tsume roared out, slamming her fist into the table. "How could that damn brat even accomplish all of this?! Lord Hokage, we must respond now and hard! If we don't then Fire Daimyo will be furious at us for not acting quickly!"

"He will be furious in any case, but you are right Tsume." Minato had to agree, as he turned to Jiraiya. "Jiraiya, you will lead the team. Take whatever resources you may need, but you must find and kill Naruto before he causes us even more damage."

"Consider it done, kid." Jiraiya assured him, with a plan already beginning to form in his head.

And as the Council had descended back into the discussions and arguing about what to do, nobody paid any mind to Kurenai who had up and left the room after reading the report. She has had enough of the Council, and she knew that none will miss her, and even if they did, she would simply tell them that she wanted to take a breath of fresh air after what she saw. It was true, at least partially, as the reason for her leaving was fully centered on the fact of what she had heard, or more specifically how Naruto had styled himself. The very name that he now bore… It had an effect of a thundering lightning striking upon Kurenai's soul, as she had believed that she would never hear the name that was spoken there.

Sauron.

A name she knew far better than all those fools, and if it was true what Tenten and Neji had told them, then Kurenai understood that what was accomplished up until now was merely a prelude to what was to come. As she left the Hokage building and she began walking on the streets, she had casted upon herself a powerful illusion as to not be seen or traced. Once done, she seemed invisible to all people around her, civilians and Shinobi alike, and even the likes of Itachi Uchiha would never be able to pierce through her veil of illusions. This was one of the abilities that Kurenai had never revealed to Konoha, along with many, _many_ other secrets that were a part of her being and nature. Just as it was a part of her nature to tap into the Nature Chakra around herself and begin the search, with her spiritual apparition following with the trail, while her body continued on the walk with her will commanding it.

The search wasn't a long one, nor was it a tiring one, as for one like Kurenai it was easy to locate her target. And the target was none other than Sauron himself, as she had suspected that if he had let Konoha know of his attacks, he was nearby or even within Konoha itself already. She was correct, as she felt him deep in the bowels of the underground passages of Konoha, where Kurenai knew was the base of ROOT Anbu of Danzo Shimura. An open secret, if there ever was one, which all preferred to ignore for some reason, and one that Kurenai knew of well. And as she reached out with her senses and being, she felt a slaughter and bloodbath taking place there, as two powerful beings were literally dismantling the shadow army that Danzo had assembled.

Hundreds dead, dozens injured and no hope of escaping- just as Kurenai remembered Sauron to be when he went to war. She was curious about the second being, until her senses had recognized her signature as the one that belonged to her "friend" Anko, only significantly altered up. Just as those two told, she was different, closer to the being that Kurenai and Sauron once were, yet not completely. Much like she is now, this being was mortal and roughly equal to Kurenai's truest might and power, something she found interesting for her, but it wasn't what she was fully interested in at the moment.

No, her attention was quickly and solidly focused on a being whose might and sheer presence had made her tremble and shake. She had nearly dropped her illusions down at the feeling of Sauron's might, and even if he was clearly not Maiar like he was, he was still far greater than her now and even when she was much like him. In her shock at the reveal of Sauron's might and power, Kurenai hadn't foreseen the moment when she had allowed herself to be 'seen' by Sauron himself. As he was finishing up with the last survivors, he suddenly stopped and looked directly at the spot from which Kurenai's spiritual apparition watched the bloodbath. The moment she locked her eyes with him was the moment when she retracted her spirit back and into her body, shattering the illusions and causing her to fall on her knees, eyes widened and whole body shaking. She was only thankful that she had led her body into the empty back alley.

"_He saw me! He literally saw me in the Chakra!" _Kurenai's thoughts raced, as she tried her hardest to catch her breath. _"How… What is he… I _must _see him now! Milord, please forgive me for spying upon you and let me be once more at your sight!"_ Were the thoughts of Kurenai, as she literally stepped through the shadows and went to one she had least expected to find in Sekai, yet yearned to see the most.

Her Master and Lord.

Teacher and Brother.

Her Overlord, Sauron, or as she remembered him, Mairon.

* * *

**ROOT Anbu secret base.**

For a whole half a minute, Sauron's form stood completely still and unmovable, as he had just witnessed something he thought impossible in this realm. As he and Medusa were in the middle of the destroying Danzo's pet army, Sauron had felt through the Sekai Chakra as someone's spirit had literally snuck up on him and watched him and Medusa at work. He knew that it was a spiritual apparition, something that he himself was most capable of using whenever he desired, and a skill that had been useful many times in the past. And a skill that only one of the Maiar could know of and use to such an effect, and when Sauron had felt the presence looking at him, he turned and was frozen in place. If only for a second, he saw the spirit of someone he had counted amongst his closest friends and most valuable allies, and the most loyal of all Maiar that had decided to follow him when he defected to Melkor.

Of all the things he had expected to find or unveil in Konoha, this was the least of all, as he believed that there were no Maiar in this world, no servants of Eru and Valar, and most certainly no former comrades of his here. Yet it was _her_, a Maiar that had been as close to Sauron as the most loyal and dearest friend could be. She was the first true friend he made when he first became Mairon, formed at the will of Eru, and she was also the one with whom he shared more secrets and thoughts of his than with any other being. She had accompanied him in wars against Melkor, in search of Elves and in his defection, until he had decided to save her the fate he was imposing on himself.

The separation from her was a very hard thing for Sauron to endure, and it was even harder on her, as she was closest to him as he was closest to her. Before him, she was seen as a minor being and looked down even by the fellow servants of her mistress Vana. Sauron knew not what became of her when she went to Valinor, suspecting that she was forgiven by Valar and allowed to return in the service of Valar Vana. He most certainly didn't expect her to be here in Sekai, and as a mortal like him! Though she was clearly not a mortal, not like most would see it, but she was not a Maiar either, and this created many questions in Sauron's head, questions that he needed to know answers on.

As he finally had collected his bearings, Sauron looked around and saw that Medusa had finished up with the rest of the ROOT Anbu, leaving them as corpses with her chained daggers. Just as Sauron had suspected, she had proven to be an extremely powerful and fast warrior, moving with ferocity and speed close to his own, and taking lives as fast as some drew breath. Her style was fluid, elegant and even enticing, nothing of previous crudeness and inflexibility that Anko possessed in life.

Medusa also casted aside the fishnet and coat that Anko used, opting for black leather short dress with purple details, with arm warmers and thigh high shoes, creating a look that possessed an allure and could create a desire in any male. Sauron didn't object to her choice of attire, but he did make sure that it was only worn when outside of battle, and while in it, she wore light leather armor, so as to protect her from harm. Medusa took that command well and did as commanded, as she now stood in a completely closed leather and chainmail armor of Uzumaki origin. Holstering her weapons, she spoke up.

"Master, are you well? I saw you freeze in the middle of battle." She asked with concern in her voice.

"Yes, I am. I simply… I sensed and saw someone I hadn't expected to ever see. Not in this realm at least." Sauron said to her, as took up his mace in both of his arms. "We were just watched by one of my own kind, someone whom I consider the closest ally and most loyal companion, yet also the one whom I've let go to Valinor when she was offered a chance at better life. She should've never found her way into this realm…"

"Master, do you speak of one of…" Medusa had stopped in the middle of sentence, before suddenly tensing up and taking up a fighting stance. "Master, we have an unwanted guest." She stated to him, with Sauron turning his head to look at the intruder.

His eyes narrowed when he saw the form of Kurenai Yuuhi step out of the shadows, seemingly unmoved by the many dead bodies that lay in front and all near her. The reason for Sauron and Medusa's detour here was in the desire of Sauron to inflict as much damage as he could upon Konoha and he was well aware of the ROOT from his first time in Sekai. He understood well enough that such a force could be a thorn in his side and if he had an opportunity, he should remove it out of the acquisition.

This was done to not just increase the kill count of Konoha's Shinobi, but also to cripple the influence of Danzo Shimura, someone who could pose a significant enough threat to Sauron's plans. Along with that, while he did plan to show himself to the public, so to speak, he was also taking in every opportunity to do as much damage to Konoha as possible, and removal of a whole branch of Anbu was at the top of the list. It was quite fortunate that all of the underground passages of Konoha that led out of the Village were connected to this base. It made it easier to find and destroy the nest of vipers, speaking metaphorically.

As Sauron's eyes landed upon Kurenai's he saw that he entire form was gripped with what he assumed fear and shock at the sight in front of her. He spoke up to her.

"Kurenai Yuuhi, one of the last persons I thought to see in these bowels, but certainly not the last one I sought to meet once I returned to Konoha." Sauron remarked, as he gripped his mace, while Medusa moved to encircle the Shinobi. "Any last words before we settle our differences?"

"M-milord Sauron, I have not come to fight you." She suddenly spoke with a stutter, as she fell on one knee, bowing to him. "I am your most faithful and loyal servant, Master. If I had angered you, then I…" She was unable to finish up her words, as he entire form was captured by the chains, with Medusa stepping from behind her and pushing a blade to her throat.

"No pitiful display or Genjutsu will save you now, Kurenai Yuuhi." Medusa simply stated, before she prepared to plunger her weapon into Kurenai.

Unfortunately she was unable to follow through with the action, as Kurenai's form had suddenly shattered and dispersed as dark mist. Medusa's eyes widened, as she gotten her bearings and weapon back and readied herself for the next attack. It came just as she expected, only not from the angle she expected, as Kurenai's form rematerialized from Medusa's very own shadow underneath her feet, and struck her in the chin. Medusa's form stepped back, reeling from the powerful attack, yet still used her chains to encircle and capture Kurenai, this time not to her success, as Mistress of Genjutsu had leapt backwards. Yet she did not land, as her form levitated and with a mere gesture of her hand, five shadowy forms appeared near Medusa and went on to strike at her.

Their speed was impressive for a mortal eye, but neither Medusa, nor Kurenai apparently, were not simple mortals. Without a second delay, Medusa swung her chain around, a blade striking all five of the summoned creatures and dispersing them. As they had been reduced to nothing, she threw her chained blade towards Kurenai, who still floated in the air.

Levitating woman easily avoided the incoming attack, letting the blade strike the wall and be nailed in it. Confidant in her victory, she didn't expect Medusa to use this seeming failure of an attack to close the distance and reach her in the air. Before she was able to act, Medusa had landed a powerful kick on her form, sending Kurenai flying to the opposite end of the room.

She came down crashing, as she slammed into the wall, nearly reducing it to rubble and ruin. Before she was able to collect her bearings, Kurenai was forced to dodge another throw of her opponent. This time, she caught the chained blade and when she gripped the chain, she brought Medusa down on to the earth. She wasn't successful, as Medusa let go of her chain all together and easily landed onto the land, before bolting right towards Kurenai with her bare hands and abilities agaisnt her. Kurenai too let go of the weapon and engaged Medusa in an intense fight with her own fists and near all her abilities.

The two ladies fought on near equal footing, as Medusa's form practically danced and parried Kurenai's strikes, while also trying to land her own. Yet Mistress of Genjutsu proved to be just as good in hand to hand as she was in illusions, as she redirected and moved away the punches and kicks, trying to close the distance herself. She casted out of her hands her own shadow chains to grab and capture Medusa, but as they've enclosed on her, the woman had practically slithered out of them in a backflip, while also trying to land a strike with her leg. Kurenai avoided it, but was unable to dodge another one of Medusa's attacks, which came when her very hair had transformed into four black snakes and enclosed on her, capturing her.

Medusa's form transformed, her body covered golden scales akin to snakes, her eyes took the form of the snake. Her full form and power was unleashed, as came close to Kurenai and dragged her elongated fanged finger across her face and spoke up.

"Interesting, who would've thought that you had such an interesting Kekkei Genkai, Kurenai. Does Asuna know, or anyone else for that matter?" Medusa asked of her, as two of her snakes closed on her throat and prepared to strangle her. "Wish for me to give him your regards, or…"

"Medusa, that's enough." Sauron's voice was firm and calm, but enough to stop her in the tracks and revert back to her original form and free Kurenai, while he stepped closer to her.

Sauron hadn't wanted this fight to happen, yet when it did, he watched it with interest and even anticipation. He wanted to see what Medusa was truly capable of doing in a fight agaisnt someone who was familiar to her from the past, but also who may've been an equal to her. He did not expect to find both and equal in power and might to his Medusa, but also someone who was as close to her as Kurenai. He was well aware of the fact that Anko and Kurenai were closest friends, and he wanted to know if Medusa would hesitate to strike her down. He was glad that she would not, but surprised at the fact that Kurenai fought back with such power and abilities, until he had finally took a look at her through the spiritual lenses.

It was then that it all had finally come to him, and he ordered the fight stopped, as he wished not to have his newest servant to hurt, or rather be hurt herself, by his oldest companion. He offered Kurenai a hand to rise up, which she accepted with timidity, before she rose up and he spoke to her.

"Of all the places and realms, this one was the last in my mind in which I would ever meet you again, Thuringwethil." Sauron couldn't contain the smile at the sight of Kurenai's face beaming at the happiness at the recognition by her Master.

For this was her true name and nature, this was who truly was and always is Kurenai Yuuhi- Thuringwethil, former Maiar of Vana and Sauron's foremost messenger, spy and agent, along with being his once greatest student and pupil in ways of magic and the world. Before him, she was the weakest and smallest of Maiar of Vana's court, who could only take form of creatures of the night and terror. Thought to be not as powerful and important as her wiser and more powerful siblings, Thuringwethil found herself in loneliness for a long time, until she met Mairon, before he was the greatest of Maiar and who at the time only sought to better himself.

The bond between them formed as quickly as it would become as powerful and strong, as in Mairon, she found one who didn't look down upon her out of disgust or pride, but accepted her and cared for her. With him, Thuringwethil opened up and gained confidence and appreciation in her powers and abilities, before expanding them even further as she traveled with Mairon. It was with him that Thuringwethil had learned to take forms of not just bats or crows, but of every creature in existence, and with him did she learn the art of illusions, dreams, mind walking and more. From a meek creature in shadows of her greater siblings, she grew into a Lady of Shadows and Night, as darkness and shadows bowed to her command, and no mind could ever be safe from her gaze and will. It was thanks to Mairon did she gain all of that and more, with respect and appreciation from her Valar Vana being included, and to him she always held her loyalties.

She followed him in his search of Elves and many lost tribes and families were led to safety by her, as were many Orcs and Trolls slaughtered in the night by her powers. She followed Mairon when he became Sauron, having long pledged herself to his ideals and wishing to assist him in fulfilling his idea. It was at his behest that she allowed Luthien to assume her form and sneak into Tol Sirion, and she had served as a hidden guide to Earendil in his travel to Valinor.

Yet it was also there that Sauron had ordered to her to stay and live her own life, caring for his first friend and desiring her not to witness what he would do and what he would become. Thuringwethil was forgiven for betrayal by Valar and allowed to return to Middle-Earth to battle against Melkor, yet she refused and remained behind. Valar saw it as a ploy by Melkor and were ready to trial her again, had it not been for Eru who intervened. He knew that after all that came to pass, Thuringwethil couldn't find rest in Valinor and offered her to leave the realm she saw as foreign without Sauron. She agreed, and thrust she was in Sekai, as a mortal and small child to two mortal humans, who had become her parents in this world. They were the once who had given her the name of Kurenai Yuuhi, and as she came to her maturity, Thuringwethil found out that while she was weaker, she lost none of her abilities and powers.

She decided to blend in with the mortals of this world, reveling in their stupidity and moronic ideas that Naruto Uzumaki was a demon when he clearly was naught. She wished she could've helped the one who held the visage of her master, yet she needed to remain as hidden and inconspicuous as possible, so she blended in with the crowds. Though outwardly she hated and despised Naruto, internally she was intrigued and interested in him, while also remembering the tales Mairon told her. She wished she could've intervened, yet she knew that doing so wouldn't amount to anything and that for her own sake, Naruto Uzumaki would have to suffer and Mairon will need to be born. Bitterly and angry, she held back from helping him when his parents returned and made him their escape goat.

It was at that point that Kurenai had become to fully despise and hate Konoha, yet unable to leave it and forced to play the role she herself had crafted for herself. She had to continue her spectacle of life, until she found a way to get out of it without any tails or leaving any traces. And now, when her Master and Lord stood before her, she was most definitely ready to shed off her mask and false skin.

As he spoke her name, Kurenai's form emitted darkness out of her body, as her usual dress and even body changed. As the mist dissipated, her form changed, as before Sauron and Medusa stood not an infamous Ice Queen of Konoha, but a lady of unnatural beauty and features, dressed in a tight red and black dress, hugging her curves and appealing figure tightly, with her legs fully hidden underneath the black material. A shawl in a form of bat wings was around her clothed arms, her nails red and long. The features of an unkempt and scowling kunoichi were lost in favor of an elven beauty with big red eyes, slightly pale skin and red long hair, falling on her shoulders with like a waterfall of blood. Dark red lipstick was on her lips, as regality and grace akin to that of elves came upon features of Thuringwethil. She made a ceremonial bow to her lord and spoke up in a melodic and enticing voice.

"My Lord and Master, I am most pleased and elated to once more lay my eyes upon you. My deepest apologies for not assisting you in your earlier incarnation and allowing the crimes against you to go unanswered." Thuringwethil dared not to look into the eyes of Sauron. "I am prepared for any and all punishments you have in your mind for me."

"Ever the eager one for a spanking, aren't you, Thuri?" Sauron noted with a wry smirk, with Thuringwethil not speaking out on it. "No insult was made, nor am I angered at you. Instead, I am glad and pleased to see you once again, Thuringwethil, though I find myself questioning your presence in Sekai and this whole spectacle. Care to elaborate as to your adventures?" The former Maiar looked up at her Lord and rose up, telling her tale to him and Medusa.

"So, Eru had sent you in Sekai at your own behest? Somehow, I am not even surprised at this interesting turn of events." Sauron said with chuckle. "I do not hold it agaisnt you leaving Valinor, but I didn't expect you to feel so strongly agaisnt being there, especially with all our siblings there."

"As I am sure you know, Milord, once you are named as a servant of Evil, it shall always remain with you, even when all doubts of your loyalty are dispelled. And even before, I was always seen as one to follow the path of darkness by our fellow Ainur, even by Lady Vana." Thuringwethil said to Sauron, who understood her. "I decided to follow you example in a way, and had made my life here as Kurenai Yuuhi, though the life I build has become an intolerable façade and role that I wish to shed off, after witnessing all that Konoha had committed."

"A feeling I share with her, Master." Medusa suddenly spoke up again, with Thuringwethil looking at her with surprise. "Please do not be surprised at my visage and appearance, Lady Thuringwethil. I am certain you know who I was before we met in our current forms."

"Yes, Anko, your signature is unmistakable, though the exterior and interior of your being are no longer as repulsive as they were before, no offence." She said with appreciation, with Medusa nodding to her.

"None taken and I am now Medusa Gorgon, a name granted to me by one who had crafted me from the dirt and made into what I am now." Medusa said to her, with Thuringwethil surprised at hearing it. "I hope that we will be able to build a productive and amicable relationship."

"I believe that with your new disposition and being we shall be quite close and friendly in no time." Thuringwethil said with a smile, before turning to Sauron. "Milord, I dare to assume that you have returned to reap revenge upon Konoha, and that this is but the first step?"

"This is, but I have greater plans and purposes set, with Konoha's destruction being at the center of my designs." Sauron said to her. "Eru himself had seen fit to send me here after I've failed in my plans in Middle-Earth. Now, he wishes for me to bring this world away from catastrophe and end the Era of Shinobi."

"An Era that most definitely must end, from where I stand, Milord." Thuringwethil stated confidently to him. "They are all that you feared in mortals: rash, hungry for power, arrogant and uncaring for the damage they make, and much more. Konoha's Council believes you to still be that abomination Kyuubi and they still eat all that Fourth Hokage tells them, and his children see themselves equals to Valar and Eru. Their belief in their own divinity is so firm and assured that surpasses that of Uchiha's. I hope that you shall let me shatter it, if it will be your wish."

"No, I shall do it myself, for I have a few scores to settle with Kyuubi and my family. But before that, it is time to make this cesspool of arrogance and treachery tremble at the mention and name of Sauron." Sauron said with emotion strong in his voice. "The myth of invincibility and power of Konoha must be shattered before all of them, and their hypocrisy revealed far and wide, and for that we shall strike at their idols. Thuringwethil, who are the most revered and hypocritical Shinobi in all of Konoha, after Minato and his family?"

"His predecessor Hiruzen Sarutobi and Sannins, Milord." She smiled as she understood the ideas of her Lord. "Do you wish me to bring them to you?"

"Draw them to me. Make them come to me at their own volition and desire." Sauron commanded to her. "I shall take great pleasure in defeating them four and then in drinking the sight of all Konoha seeing their idols and ideals crushed in front of them. Do this, Thuringwethil, and will grant you your heart's desire, whatever it may be."

"Only to be at your side once more and see the dream we share come to life." She said with reverence, before an idea came to her and she dared to ask. "Yet… There is a desire that has long been holding my heart hostage. If I may be so bold to ask you, may you grant it to me right now, if you do not see any obstacle to it?"

"Name it, and if I am able, I shall grant it to you, my dearest friend." Sauron nodded to her.

"Much like with Medusa, though indirectly, you had shaped and changed me and my being from the one it was before I came to be what I am now." She spoke to Sauron with reverence. "I humbly ask you, the maker of my being and holder of my loyalty, to grant me your blessing in form that you have given to Medusa as well."

"You wish me to grant you a new name?" Sauron seemed surprised at her request. "Do you not see yourself as Thuringwethil anymore?"

"I see myself not as Thuringwethil, not the same as I was, nor am I the Maiar as I was. I am different from what I was and long had changed from times when I was given name by Eldar and Maiar. For I care not for their opinion, but I do for your, I wish to know what name comes to your mind when you look upon me." She explained to him, with Sauron nodding to her, before granting her the wish.

"Lilith, this shall be your name and new being, should you wish it to be." Sauron saw the delight in the eyes of his most loyal follower, as she bowed and rose up on her feet before him.

"I take this name and bind to my being, Milord, and forever you shall find me grateful for your gift to me." Now named Lilith said to him with a smile. "Where will you wish to see your victims, Milord?"

"Ten kilometers north from Konoha, there is a wide open field, perfect for a spectacle of battle. Bring them to me, along with whatever cannon fodder that wishes to follow, but leave out of it Minato and his family, along children. Their time shall come later." Sauron commanded her. "Bring them tomorrow at noon, until then, Medusa and I shall spend our time productively in Konoha. Should interesting news come your way, find us. Now, you may leave, Lilith." With that said, Lilith bowed before them and left them through the shadows.

"Master, is this wise to trust her? I know that questioning your decisions is not what you wish of me but…" Medusa asked of him.

"You may question them whenever you see them as foolish and threatening, Medusa, I allow you, and I would trust none as much as I would trust Lilith." Sauron stated with firmness. "Now, we are on a tight schedule and there are so many places to be and things to do. Shall we?" Medusa eagerly nodded and the two left the decimated base of ROOT Anbu to pursue new designs.

* * *

**Sorry for a bit of cramped and what I see as raw chapter, but I hope that it meets with your approval. I certainly think that it is not one of my best. Now, as you can see, Sauron and Medusa didn't waste time getting in Konoha and right into business, and they've come across Kurenai Yuuhi, or as it was revealed, Thuringwethil, a canon character from Sylmarilion and whose name I just can't remember properly or even say it, so I decided to change it to Lilith. Hope you don't mind the little change, plus with Tolkien, many of his characters have quite a number of names, so why not let our little vampire lady have a new one. **

**And yes, I know that Lilith is the name of the Succubus and first wife of Lucifer and etc., but I was torn between that and Carmilla, and if I am being honest, I've decided in favor of Lilith because it will let me expand on the abilities and skills of Lilith (former Thuringwethil) a bit more, as she is more than just a Vampire as in the canon. Plus, I'm the author, and I decided so.**

**Anyway, I'm in the middle of January exams, so I apologize for my irregular works. I'll need to focus up on finishing up my Harry Potter story asap, so next I'm updating it. Hope to get next chapter soon though**

**Next time: The Professor and his Pupils face the final test; Konoha's idols are burn.**


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